>r>  TSTr^ETpf  ,-\T     \-    .7„ 


BS  480  .D55  1851  c.l 
Dickinson,  Richard  W.  1804- 

1874. 
Responses  from  the  sacred 


^7 


RESPONSES 


FROM     THE 


SACRED  ORACLES; 


OR, 


THE  PAST  IN  THE  PRESENT. 


/ 

RICHARD  W.  DICKINSON,   D.  D., 

AUTHOR  OP 
'RELIGION  TEACHING  BY  EXA^VIPLE,  OR  SCENES  FROM  SACRED  HISTORY  "  ETa 


NEW    YORK: 
ROBERT    CARTER   &   BROTHERS, 

285      BROADWAY. 

1851. 


Entered,  aeconiinii  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1850, 

By  R0BB:IIT  carter  &  BROTHERS, 

iu  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States,  in  and  for  the 
S  utlierii  nistrict  of  New  York. 


STEREOTYI'F.n    liV    C.    C.    SAVAGE, 

13  ChKnihers  Street,  N.  Y. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

The  Sons  of  the  First  Man 7 

The  Patriarch's  Death-Bed 47 

The  Legislator's  Faith 65 

The  Grave  of  Lusts 85 

The  Conspiracy  Defeated 110 

The  Self-Idolater 134 

Factitious  Religion 154 

The  Leper's  Extremity 175 

The  Unprincipled  Servant. 194 

The  Skeptic 207 

The  Apostate 227 

The  Wise  Man's  Contrasts 253 

The  Son  of  God 269 

The  Infidel  Jeavs 293 

The  Sin  of  the  Pharisees 310 

The  Ways  of  the  World 327 

The  Dying  Penitent 342 

The  Desponding  Disciples 367 

The  First  Gentile  Convert 387 

The  Almost  Persuaded 408 


PREFACE. 


We  have  found  in  the  Past  the  archetypes  of  the 
Present,  and  seen  ourselves  in  the  mirror  of  Sacred 
Writ.  They  to  whom  reference  is  made  in  the  follow- 
ing pages,  are  not  fictitious  characters.  They  were 
men  of  like  capacities  and  passions  with  ourselves ;  and 
hence  all  their  acts  have  their  counterpart  in  those  of 
the  men  of  the  present  day.  We  have  our  Cains  and 
Abels,  our  Naamans  and  Gehazis,  our  Ahithophels, 
Asas,  and  Amaziahs.  We,  too,  with  those  that  will  in 
turn  claim  the  reader's  attention,  have  the  same  tempta- 
tions ana  trials,  the  same  fears  and  sorrows,  the  same 
weaknesses  and  unbelief.  The  relations  which  they 
sustained  to  God  and  eternity,  bind  us ;  the  wants 
and  woes  of  which  they  were  sensible,  are  common  to 
us,  as  the  descendants  of  the  same  parent ;  and  as 
we,  also,  by  reason  of  sin,  must  die,  we  need,  no  less 
than  they  of  old  whom   God  owned  as   his  servants,  a 

heaven-born  faith,  and  a  Divine  Saviour. 
1* 


0  PREFACE. 

We  have,  therefore,  inquired  at  the  Oracles  of  God, 
to  ascertain  in  what  Hght  certain  characters  were  regard- 
ed, and  what  were  the  resuhs  of  their  manner  of  hfe 
and  rehgious  practices  :  and  as  the  Word  of  the  Lord 
was  to  tliem,  or  the  expression  of  God's  will  in  relation 
to  their  actions,  such  are  the  responses  of  the  Sacred 
Oracles  to  us. 

If  it  be  true,  that  "  as  in  water  face  answereth  to  face, 
so  does  the  heart  of  man  to  man,"  it  will,  we  trust,  be 
equally  apparent  to  the  reader  before  he  closes  this  vol- 
ume, that  "God,  who  at  sundry  times  and  in  divers 
manners  spake  in  time  past  unto  the  fathers  by  the 
prophets,  hath  in  these  last  days  spoken  unto  us  by  his 
Son." 

New  Yokk,  September,  1850. 


RESPONSES  FROM  THE  SACRED  ORACLES. 


THE  SONS  OF  THE  FIRST  MAN. 

All  inquiries  respecting  man  are  of  trifling  import 
compared  with  his  relations  to  God  and  futurity.  It  is 
certain  that  as  he  alone  of  all  terrene  existences  is  gift- 
ed with  intelligence,  he  alone  can  hold  communion  with 
an  intelligent  immaterial  Creator.  That  such  a  Being 
exists,  the  world  with  its  countless  appearances  of  de- 
sign, all  irreconcilable  with  our  experience  of  accidental 
effect,  distinctly  intimates:  and, if  God's  existence  can- 
not be  legitimately  questioned,  it  is  unreasonable  to 
suppose  that  he  created  such  a  world  as  this,  without 
any  assignable  end,  or  formed  man  to  abandon  him  to 
the  control  of  his  animal  instincts.  The  simple  admis- 
sion that  man  is  a  creature,  implies  that  he  was  not  left 
to  the  slow  operation  of  unaided  reason  to  discover  the 
Author  and  the  end  of  his  existence.  To  have  created 
man,  and  not  imparted  to  him  whatever  degree  of  knowl- 
edge was  necessary  to  enable  him  to  perform  at  once 
the  highest  purposes  of  his  being,  would  have  been 
inconsistent  with  that  benevolent  wisdom  which  the 
Creator  has  displayed  even  in  the  minutest  of  his  works. 


8  THE    SOXS    OF    THE    J'-IKST    MAN. 

Hence  the  presumption  in  I'avor  of  an  original  Rev- 
elation to  man  ;  and,  by  consequence,  of  the  authenti- 
city and  genuineness  of  the  Mosaic  Record  —  a  record 
which  has  all  the  proof  the  nature  of  the  case  admits 
of;  which  might  have  been  readily  compiled  from  tra- 
ditional history  preserved  beyond  the  Deluge,  when  the 
length  of  antediluvian  life  rendered  the  tradition  from 
Adam  to  Abraham  safe  in  its  transmission,  and  free  from 
corruption  ;  w  hich,  from  its  extreme  antiquity,  is  essen- 
tially independent  of  all  external  testimony  ;  yet,  in 
its  principal  facts,  has  more  historical  and  moral,  if  not 
more  positive  and  collateral  testimony  in  its  favor, 
than  any  other  events  in  the  annals  of  the  world. 

It  is  foreign  from  our  purpose  to  investigate  its  cred- 
ibility ;  this  we  assume ;  not,  however,  for  the  purpose 
of  fabricating  a  theory  in  religion  and  morals,  but  to  aid 
us  in  an  inquiry  of  transcendent  importance. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  man's  judgment  is  apt  to  be 
swayed  by  his  early  educational  impressions  ;  still,  such 
impressions  may  be  right ;  and  it  is  within  the  province 
of  mind  to  discriminate  between  essential  principles  and 
adventitious  notions  ;  by  a  logical  process  of  thought 
to  separate  the  true  from  the  false,  and  by  the  absolute 
laws  of  human  testimony  to  distinguish  fact  from  fable. 
Our  prepossessions,  if  in  favor  of  truth,  need  but  facili- 
tate our  inquiries  after  truth ;  and  as  all  spiritual  truths 
disclose  deeper  relations  to  the  mind  when  believed  from 
the  heart,  so  our  belief  in  Christianity  may  lead  to  the 
discovery  of  new  arguments  in  its  support,  where  the 
skeptic  would  be  blind,  or  the  philosopher  could  but  the- 
orize.     Indeed,   the  darkness  of   antiquity  cannot  be 


THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN.  9 

explored  without  the  torchlight  of  Christianity.  It  is 
to  the  Record  of  the  creation,  what  science  is,  in  any 
attempt  to  decipher  the  hieroglyphics  of  Egypt ;  and 
whether  we  would  explore  the  past  or  pry  into  the 
future,  alike  indispensable  as  the  guide  and  reward  of 
all  our  inquiries.  Wonderful  system  !  which  compre- 
hends the  several  dispensations  of  God  to  man,  from 
the  beginning  to  the  consummation  of  all  things  !  hardly 
less  to  be  prized  for  the  discoveries  which  it  makes, 
than  for  the  hopes  which  it  inspires  ! 

Now  if  man  fell  from  his  original  estate  of  moral 
purity,  and  provision  was  made  for  his  final  deliverance 
from  the  o-uilt  and  power  of  sin  through  faith  in  a  Divine 
Redeemer,  it  were  to  be  presumed  that  his  early  history 
would  serve  to  elucidate  matters  of  such  moment  to  the 
human  family.  Should  his  true  history,  if  such  be  ex- 
tant, be  wanting  in  facts  to  guide  inquiry  and  warrant 
legitimate  conclusions,  then,  whatever  the  formula  of 
schools  or  the  deductions  of  speculative  reason,  it  could 
not  be  proved  that  "by  man  sin  entered  into  the  world, 
and  death  by  sin."  For  aught  we  know  to  a  moral  cer- 
tainty. Death  may  be  in  harmony  with  the  original  con- 
stitution of  things  —  Depravity,  the  result  of  circum- 
stances, or  the  force  of  association — Religion,  the  de- 
vice of  kings  to  secure  their  ascendency  over  the  popu- 
lar will  ;  and  the  Atonement,  a  mere  fiction  of  design- 
ing priests,  availing  themselves  of  natural  terrors  to  en- 
chain the  people  by  bloody  rites. 

But  what  the  Bible  reveals  as  doctrines  to  be  accred- 
ited on  the  authority  of  Him  who  has  an  inherent  right 
to  exact  onr  faith  a"^  wpU   as  our  obedience,  the  history 


10  THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN. 

of  his  providence  embodies  in  facts  not  to  be  contra- 
vened by  human  testimony,  however  much  they  may  be 
perverted  by  the  sophistry  of  error,  or  bereft  of  meaning 
by  erudite  fancy. 

As,  in  relation  to  the  being  of  God,  we  may  reason 
from  cause  to  effect,  or  from  effect  to  cause,  and  by 
either  method  arrive  at  the  same  conclusion  ;  so,  whether 
we  arjiue  from  the  facts  recorded  in  Genesis  to  the  doc- 
trines  taught  in  Revelation,  or  fjom  these  to  those,  the 
same  great  principles  of  faith  are  obtruded  on  our  notice. 
This  constitutes  the  distinctive  feature  and  practical 
value  of  the  Scriptures.  Other  ancient  records,  though 
they  contain  allusions  which  cannot  be  explained  with- 
out supposing  that  some  traditional  knowledge  of  the 
facts  recorded  by  Moses  had  been  diffused  through  all 
early  nations,  yet  are  confused,  and  in  some  respects 
contradictory  :  but  the  Bible,  though  it  embodies  the 
writings  of  various  minds  at  different  successive  inter- 
vals, and  through  the  course  of  four  thousand  years  — 
from  ^Nloses  to  8t.  John  —  is  clear  in  its  drift,  and  con- 
sistent wiih  itself.  Its  facts  bespeak  the  corresponding 
enunciations  of  the  Divine  Mind,  and  its  revealed  doc- 
trines presuppose  its  recorded  facts.  Its  teachings  are 
substantially  the  same  to  all  who  reverently  inquire  at 
the  oracles  of  God,  and  its  historical  portions  constitute 
but  so  many  facilities  for  the  clearer  understanding  of 
the  mind  of  the  Spirit;  and  while  the  former  harmonize 
with  the  conclusions  of  the  practical  reason,  the  latter 
accord  with  the  facts  in  our  own  observation  and  expe- 
rience. 

(^ther  histories  differ  in   their  representations   of  the 


THE    SOXS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN.  11 

Divine  Being ;  sacred  history  presents  him  to  us  in  all 
the  fulness  and  harmony  of  his  unchanging  perfections. 
So  do  they  unfold  different  modes,  and  all  alike  useless, 
to  propitiate  the  Divine  favor  ;  but  in  this,  we  may  ob- 
serve one  and  the  same  design  pervading  each  succes- 
sive dispensation.  All  other  religious  systems  leave 
man  where  they  find  him  —  in  his  sins;  this  finds  him 
a  depraved  being,  and  aims  to  form  him  "  a  new  crea- 
ture." In  other  systems  the  early  facts  in  man's  history 
are  interwoven  with  fables  or  couched  in  myths  ;  in  this 
all  facts  are  stated  in  a  clear  and  simple  order,  with 
equal  brevity  and  terseness  —  so  vividly  and  with  such 
an  air  of  truthfulness,  that  we  involuntarily  believe,  un- 
less swayed  in  our  judgment  by  the  love  of  forbidden 
good.  In  other  systems  we  can  with  difficulty  recognise 
our  own  nature ;  in  this,  we  see  ourselves.  Anywhere 
else  we  may  discern  the  wants  and  woes  of  our  common 
humanity,  and  man's  vain  efforts  to  devise  a  remedy 
and  regain  Paradise  ;  but  here  we  discover  a  Remedy 
already  provided,  and  a  bright  pathway  to  immortality. 
Whichever  way  we  turn,  all  is  dark  and  portentous — 
as  thoiifjh  the  threatenino;  anirel  that  2;uarded  the  sacred 
enclosure  against  fallen  man's  re-entrance,  had  cast  his 
appalling  shadov/  over  our  souls.  Wherever  we  in- 
quire, whether  at  the  pagod  of  Vishnu,  the  sphinxes  of 
Egypt,  or  of  the  oracle  at  Delphi,  all  responses  are 
alike  enigmatical  and  discordant;  but  from  the  Sacred 
Oracles  one  and  the  same  voice  breaks  in  clear  and  au- 
thoritative accents  on  the  ear  of  every  serious  inquirer: 
"I  am  the  Way,  the  Truth,  and  the  Life." 

If  the   historical  Scriptures  could  be   separated  from 


12  THE    SONS    OF    THK    FIRST    MAN. 

the  didactic,  or  were  men  divested  of  prejudice  against 
Revealed  Religion,  they  would  be  studied  with  deeper 
interest  than  the  books  of  Herodotus  or  the  Iliad  of 
Homer;  regarded  as  the  most  ancient  and  authentic 
sources  of  knowledge;  and  deferred  to  as  final  authority 
in  all  matters  relative  to  man's  early  history. 

The  oldest  nations  of  which  we  have  any  account  had 
their  respective  traditions  of  the  creation.  Ancient 
Mythology  abounds  in  symbols  expressive  of  many  of 
the  events  recorded  in  Genesis ;  ancient  poets,  also, 
have  sung  of  the  golden  age,  and  philosophers  at  dif- 
ferent periods  of  the  world  have  theorized  respecting 
the  origin  of  man  ;  but  the  Bible  tells  us,  in  simple  and 
positive  terms,  that  in  the  beginning  God  created  the 
heavens  and  the  earth  —  formed  man  out  of  the  dust  of 
the  earth,  breathed  into  his  nostrils  the  breath  of  life, 
caused  him  to  become  a  living  soul,  placed  him  in  Par- 
adise, formed  woman  to  be  his  helpmeet,  and  gave  him 
dominion  over  the  beasts  of  the  earth,  and  the  fowls  of 
the  air,  and  the  fish  of  the  sea.  All  people  have  had 
some  idea  of  the  Fall;  and  we  see  that  man  is  not  what 
we  can  readily  conceive  a  being  so  endowed  with  men- 
tal and  moral  capacities  might  have  been.  All  nature, 
too,  gives  signs  of  woe,  as  though  conscious  of  having 
been  stricken  in  mighty  wrath  by  Him  who  once  pro- 
nounced her  "  good."  But  it  is  the  Bible  alone  that  can 
tell  us  when  and  where  the  Fall  took  place,  and  how  the 
earth  came  to  be  cursed  for  man's  sake,  and  why  wo- 
man should  have  sorrow  in  her  conception.  We  are 
not  insensible  to  the  evils  of  sin,  much  less  blind  to  its 
appalling  ravages ;   and   though  many  have  endeavored 


THE    SONS    OF    TFIE    FIRST    MAN.  13 

to  account  foi*  the  ills  which  "  flesh  is  heir  to"  on  al- 
most as  many  different  theories,  yet  the  only  simple  and 
rational  explanation  is  found  in  the  recorded  facts,  that 
disobedience  to  God  involved  the  penalty  of  death,  and 
that  after  Adam  had  forfeited  his  right  to  "the  tree  of 
life,"  he  begat  a  son  "  in  his  own  likeness." 

We  observe  the  great  variety  of  religious  systems  that 
have  obtained  currency  in  the  world,  and  though  they 
are  not  equally  pernicious,  we  are  tempted  to  brand 
them  alike  false.  But  when  the  primeval  records  of 
our  race  are  consulted,  we  find  there  the  prototype  of 
all  false  religions,  as  well  as  that  of  the  only  true.  If 
there  is  evil  in  the  world,  it  must  have  had  a  beginning  ; 
so,  if  there  is  good  in  the  world,  it  cannot  be  without  a 
cause.  If  any  religion  be  false,  some  rehgion  must  be 
true  ;  and  in  either  case,  each  can  be  traced  to  its  source 
with  as  much  certainty  as  we  can  trace  the  origin  and 
the  fall  of  man. 

In  relation  to  such  historical  matters  as  do  not  neces- 
sitate a  conclusion  in  keeping  with  the  doctrines  of 
Revelation,  credence  is  readily  secured.  Thus,  it  will 
not  be  denied  that  the  division  of  labor  is  the  great  se- 
cret of  facility  and  perfection  in  the  arts ;  that  it  is  better, 
too,  for  the  success  of  each  member  of  the  community, 
and  for  the  harmony  and  prosperity  of  the  whole  :  but 
such  v.as  the  original  order  of  God's  providence,  as  is 
shown  by  the  fact  that  Abel  was  "  a  keeper  of  sheep," 
and  Cain  "  a  tiller  of  the  ground,"*  —  a  fact  which  fur- 
nishes an  argument  in  favor  of  the  record  itself,  and 
which  an  impostor  who  consulted  probabilities  would 
•  Gen.  iv.  2. 
2 


t4  THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN. 

not  have  stated  ;  for  if  God  had  not  interfered,  and 
events  had  been  left  to  their  natural  and  regular  course, 
the  first  man  and  his  sons  would  have  been  hunters, 
supported  by  the  produce  of  the  chase,  till  their  increase 
of  numbers  forced  them  first  to  the  regular  occupation 
of  shepherds,  and  afterward  to  the  higher  improve- 
ments of  agriculture.* 

It  is  often  observed  that  there  is  a  natural  difference 
in  the  members  of  the  same  family:  the  same  difference 
is  strikingly  apparent  in  the  sons  of  the  first  man.  It  is 
familiar  to  observation,  that  parents  are  often  disappoint- 
ed in  their  children  ;  but  this  was  the  bitter  experience 
of  the  first  mother. 

We  know  that  it  is  not  well  for  man  to  be  idle,  that 
idleness  is  the  great  foe  to  our  physical  and  moral  well- 
being  ;  but  here  is  the  Divine  appointment  that  man 
should  "  eat  his  bread  in  the  sweat  of  his  face,"  in 
connection  with  the  fact  that  the  first  born  into  the 
world  were  brought  up  by  their  parents  in  habits  of  in- 
dustry, and  fitted  for  different  but  equally  honorable  and 
useful  employments.t 

The  history  of  any  barbarous  people  may  teach  us, 
that  whenever  man  is  left  to  the  progress  of  his  own  ex- 
perience, he  makes  but  little  advance  in  the  knowledge 
of  those  arts  which  contribute  to  the  comforts  of  civilized 
life  ;  and  if  this  be  so,  the  Mosaic  record,  in  representing 
the  primitive  state  of  man  as  not  a  savage  state,  renders 
it  not  improbable  that  men  at  first  were  divinely  direct- 
ed, not  only  to  a  division  of  labor,  but  to  the  use  of  brass 

•  Smith's  "  Wealth  of  Nations,"  b.  5,  c.  1. 
t  Gen.  iii.  19 — iv.  2,  3,  4. 


THE    SOXS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN.  15 

and  iron  —  thus  coinciding  with  the  conclusions  of  rea- 
son as  to  the  probable  manner  of  life  which  a  wise  and 
good  being  would  suggest  to  his  rational  creatures. 

Now  if  such  historical  statements  are  worthy  of  cre- 
dence because  they  accord  with  the  teachings  of  our 
experience,  why  not  all  other  statements  with  which 
they  are  inseparably  interwoven,  and  which  cannot,  by 
any  law  of  criticism,  be  expunged  from  the  record,  with- 
out doing  violence  to  the  whole.  It  is  preposterous  to 
regard  the  Mosaic  record  as  an  allegory,  and  quite  as 
absurd  —  though  great  names  have  honored  the  exposi- 
tion—  to  resolve  the  facts  stated  in  the  first  few  chapters 
in  Genesis,  into  myths  ;  unless  we  are  philosophically 
at  liberty  to  have  recourse  to  such  a  solution  whenever 
a  difficulty  arises  which  we  cannot  explain,  or  facts  dis- 
turb our  fond  conceits.  If  it  were  not  wholly  improb- 
able that  Moses,  while  professing  to  relate  matters  of 
fact,  on  the  authority  of  which  his  own  legislative  char- 
acter was  founded,  would  interweave  his  narrative  with 
allegorical  and  legendary  representations,  it  is  sufficient 
for  us  to  know  that  those  statements  which  men,  in 
their  superior  wisdom,  attempt  to  invalidate,  are  referred 
to  in  other  parts  of  the  sacred  writings  as  of  historical 
authority,* 

It  is  clear,  from  the  Mosaic  record,  that  there  was  as 
marked  a  difference  in  the  offerings  of  Cain  and  Abel  . 
as  in  their  secular  emplo)a'nents  ;  in  God's  consequent 
dealings  with  them  as  in  their  treatment  of  one  another  ; 
in  the  end  of  their  days  as  in  their  dispositions  and  ac- 
tions :  and  if  some  of  the  particulars  of  the  record  may 

*   2  Cor.  xi.  3.     1  Tim.  ii.  14. 


16  THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN. 

be  legitimately  rejected  as  fabulous  or  even  figurative,  the 
rest  cannot  be  received  on  the  authority  of  Jns^piration  : 
and  if  Cain  and  Abel  were  not  the  sons  of  Adam,  who 
were  their  parents  ?  Whence  the  first  man  ?  How 
came  the  earth  to  be  peopled  ?  The  want  of  an  au- 
thentic record  of  man's  primeval  state,  were  presump- 
tive evidence  against  the  existence  of  a  Creator.  Cer- 
tain it  is,  however,  tliat  to  reject  the  Mosaic  record  is 
to  discard  the  authority  of  the  whole  Bible  ;  and  not 
only  so,  it  is  to  reject  facts  which  philosophers  cannot 
dispute  without  being  driven  to  the  most  fanciful  con- 
clusions ;  and  which  must  be  admitted,  if  we  would  ac- 
count, with  any  show  of  rationality,  for  the  phenomena 
of  the  world — man's  depravity  not  excepted.  Yet,  if 
this  be  admitted  —  and  whether  Christianity  be  true  or 
false,  it  may  not  consistently  be  denied  while  the  facts 
of  experience  remain  —  a  presumption  is  at  once  estab- 
lished in  favor  of  that  remedial  system  which  Christi- 
anity unfold.>. 

As  Sin  and  Redemption  comprise  the  leading  ideas 
of  the  whole  Bible,  so  do  the  Fall  and  the  Recovery 
constitute  the  two  cardinal  events  in  man's  history  :  that 
is,  "  the  death  denounced  against  sin,  and  the  death  ap- 
pointed for  the  Holy  Qjie,  who,  in  the  fulness  of  time, 
laid  down  his  life  to  deliver  man  from  the  consequences 
•of  sin."*  The  gospel  of  the  grace  of  God  necessarily 
presupposes  man's  lapse  from  his  original  nature  into 
an  estate  of  sin  and  misery.  Mysteriously  difficult  as 
may  be  the  doctrine  of  original  depravity,  a  right  view 
of  the  Fall,  of  its  guilt  and  consequences,  lies  at  the  basis 
*  Magee,  vol.  i,  Dis.  2,  p.  33. 


THE     SOXS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN.  17 

of  all  right  views  in  Christian  theolog^^  Strike  from  the 
record  onl}'  a  few  facts  in  relation  to  Adam  and  his  sons, 
and  there  can  be  no  clear  idea  of  the  Christian  system, 
nor  any  just  appreciation  of  the  nature  and  design  of 
the  Redemption  by  Christ  Jesus.  Either  the  original 
record  is  literally  true,  or  Christianity  is  false. 

But  not  only  does  the  Bible  enable  us  to  trace  man 
to  his  origin  ;  it  shows  us  that  from  the  beginning  he 
was  wont  to  render  homage  to  his  Creator  ;  and  it  is 
remarkable,  that  the  further  we  go  back  in  profane  his- 
tory, the  nearer  approach  do  we  find  to  the  pure  wor- 
ship of  God.*  Even  in  his  fall,  he  did  not  lose  all  con- 
sciousness of  the  claims  of  God  on  his  devotions  and 
obedience.  It  may  be  inferred  from  the  record,  that  the 
sons  of  the  first  man  were  trained  to  religious  services  ; 
for  it  is  expressly  stated,  that  "  at  the  end  of  days"  — 
probably  on  the  Sabbath,  which  was  instituted  at  the  close 
of  the  six  days'  work  of  creation,  they  "  brought  an  of- 
fering to  the  Lord."t  And  as  we  are  able  to  trace  the 
worship  of  God  to  the  infancy  of  the  world,  so  even  in 
the  record  of  the  earliest  acts  of  religious  worship,  may 
we  see  that  God  was  then,  as  he  is  now,  a  holy  and 
jealous  God  —  satisfied  with  nothing  short  of  the  hum- 
ble and  contrite  heart ;  and  that  man  might  make  an  of- 
fering to  God,  yet  fail  of  the  Divine  acceptance. 

There  was  a  striking  difference  between  Cain  and 
Abel  —  a  difference  in  their  natural  dispositions,  rendered 
greater  by  the  dissimilarity  in  their  habits  and  pursuits, 
—  all  the  difference  between  a  wucked  and  a  righteous 

*  Leiand's  Advantages  of  Revelation,  chap.  xi.  Shuckford'fl  Con- 
nection, vol.  i.  p.  304.  t  Gen-  iv.  34. 

2* 


18  THE    SONS    OF    THK    FIKST    MAN. 

man,  an  infidel  and  a  believer  ;  the  one  being  proud, 
selfish,  and  malevolent,  the  other  humble,  grateful,  and 
kind.  There  was  consequently  a  great  difference  in 
their  offerings  ;  Cain's  being  a  general  acknowledg- 
ment of  God  as  the  Creator  ;  Abel's  a  sacrifice  of  atone- 
ment, as  to  an  offended  lawgiver.  The  one  offered 
from  the  persuasion  that  some  act  of  homage  was  re- 
quired ;  the  other  from  a  sense  not  only  of  his  indebt- 
edness to  the  Bounteous  Giver,  but  of  his  own  ill  de- 
sert and  need  of  pardon.  The  latter  had  a  reference  to 
God's  promise  of  a  Redeemer,  as  well  as  to  the  Divine 
requirement;  the  former  merely  to  his  own  dependence, 
and  relied  therefore  on  the  expression  of  his  gratitude. 
Hence,  he  offered  of  the  fruits  of  the  ground  ;  but  Abel 
brought  "  of  the  firstlings  of  his  flock  and  of  the  fat  there- 
of." Still,  there  might  have  seemed  to  be  no  essential 
difference  in  their  devotions,  and  in  either  case,  the  sac- 
rificer  himself  a  truly  good  man.  As  we  are  now  una- 
ble to  discriminate  between  the  hypocrite  and  the  be- 
liever in  their  external  religious  acts,  so  the  one  as  well 
as  the  other  might  have  assumed  the  joosture  and  worn 
the  aspect  of  simple-minded  and  serious  worshippers. 
But  God,  who  sees  not  as  man  sees,  knew  they  were 
actuated  by  different  principles  ;  and  accordingly  it  is 
stated,  that  while  "  he  had  respect  to  Abel  and  his  offer- 
ing, to  Cain  and  his  offering  he  had  not  respect ;"  be- 
cause, "  the  sacrifice  of  the  wicked  is  an  abomination  to 
the  Lord,"  and  "  without  faith  it  is  impossible  to  please 
God." 

That  the  want  of  faith  in  "  the  promised  seed"  was 
the  especial  reason  for  God's  rejection  of  Cain's  offer- 


THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN.  19 

ing,  is  not  a  gratuitous  supposition.  Various  explana- 
tions have  been  attempted,  yet  none  but  this  to  which 
we  have  referred,  will  admit  of  rigid  scrutiny.  To 
suppose  that  the  difference  in  the  treatment  of  the  broth- 
ers arose  from  the  "different  mode  of  dividing  their 
several  oblations,"  is  to  sanction  the  view  which  an  an- 
cient enemy  to  Christianity  —  Julian  the  apostate  —  de- 
rived from  the  Septuagint  translation,  in  order  to  repre- 
sent the  God  of  the  Christians  in  an  unworthy  light ;  or 
that  it  was  owing  to  Cain's  not  having  brought  of  the  first 
and  best  of  his  fruits,  as  Abel  did  of  the  firstlings  of  his 
flock,  has  almost  as  little  support  from  the  text  as  the 
fanciful  construction  of  Grotius,  that  by  the  firstlings 
is  meant  the  wool  of  the  animal,  and  by  the  fat  thereof, 
the  milk:  with  hardly  less  disregard  to  the  text  might 
we  adopt  the  conceit  of  Josephus,  that  "  God  was  more 
pleased  with  the  spontaneous  productions  of  nature  than 
with  an  offering  extorted  from  the  earth  by  the  ingenu- 
ity and  force  of  man."*  Nor  could  the  difference  have 
been  owing  to  their  different  moral  characters,  for  we 
have  no  record  of  the  acceptance  of  the  one  and  the 
rejection  of  the  other,  separate  from  the  nature  and  cir- 
cumstances of  their  respective  oblations ;  much  less,  then, 
to  Cain's  design  against  his  brother's  life,  for  this  was 
formed  subsequently  to  the  rejection  of  his  sacrifice. 
The  fact  is,  the  actions  of  both  the  brothers  in  their 
offerings  seem  to  have  been,  as  even  Priestley  admitted, 
of  the  same  nature,  and  to  have  had  exactly  the  same 
meaning.  It  matters  not  in  what  light  sacrifices  may 
be  regarded — whether  as  gifts,  as  federal  rites,  or  as 
•  Antiq.,  lib.  i.  c.  3. 


20  THE    SOXS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN. 

symbolical  actions  —  the  brothers  appear  on  the  same 
ground,  in  the  same  attitude,  and  with  the  same  purpose 
of  worshipping  Him  by  whom  they  had  been  blessed, 
in  an  offering  of  their  respective  possessions.  There 
was  as  clear  an  acknowledgment  of  the  supremacy  and 
benignity  of  God's  providence  in  the  offering  of  the 
fruits  of  the  earth,  as  in  that  of  the  firstlings  of  the 
flock;  and  whether  their  gifts  were  equally  valuable  or 
not,  they  were  such  as  respectively  belonged  to  them, 
and  in  either  offering,  the  expression  of  gratitude  might 
have  been  significant  and  forcible,  and  alike  pleasing  to 
a  being  who  looks  down  on  the  hearts  of  his  worshippers. 

Why  then  should  a  distinction  have  been  made  in 
their  offerings  ;  and  how  is  the  difference  in  the  Divine 
reception  of  their  sacrifices  to  be  explained  ?  Reason 
cannot  answer  these  questions.  All  solutions  of  this 
difficulty  which  the  unassisted  mind  has  devised,  are 
contradictious  and  unsatisfactory.  It  cannot  be  resolved 
without  the  aid  of  that  Volume  to  which  we  are  indebt- 
ed for  the  facts  in  the  case. 

We  admit,  however,  that  it  is  contrary  to  all  our  pre- 
conceptions, that  such  a  being  as  God  would  transfer 
the  sins  of  the  sacrificer  to  his  sacrifice:  no  opinion  is 
more  arbitrary,  or  seems  to  denote  grosser  superstition  ; 
yet  all  the  ancient  nations  adopted  this  very  notion,  and 
in  their  desire  to  appease  the  Divine  wrath,  ceremonially 
devoted  some  living  victim  to  God,  under  the  persuasion 
that  the  sins  of  the  offerers  would  be  imputatively  trans- 
ferred to  the  victim.  How  can  this  be  accounted  for, 
unless  all  nations  received  the  ordinance  from  some 
common   source  ?     Man's  reason   does  not  teach  him 


THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN.  21 

that  God  could  delight  in  blood,  or  in  the  fat  of  slain 
beasts  ;  nor  does  instinct  prompt  him  to  spill  for  his 
own  gratification  the  blood  of  an  innocent  creature  ;  nor 
could  appetite  have  dictated  such  an  act  before  man 
was  accustomed  to  the  use  of  animal  food,  and  when, 
on  the  supposition  of  animal  victims,  he  must  have 
known  that  they  were  to  be  consumed  by  fire  ;  nor  could 
he  have  been  led  by  a  natural  principle  of  association, 
from  the  practice  of  first  offering  the  fruits  of  the  earth 
to  animal  sacrifices  ;  for  there  is  no  conceivable  transi- 
tion from  the  simple  and  innocent  offerings  of  fruits,  to  a 
cruel  and  unnatural  rite.  It  avails  nothing  to  refer  the 
practice  to  some  unaccountable  superstition,  because 
there  could  have  been  no  superstitions  in  the  world,  un- 
less there  had  previously  existed  some  true  religion : 
nor  may  we  reasonably  refer  it  in  the  first  instance  to 
mere  superstitious  will-worship  ;  as  such  it  could  not 
have  been  acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God,  much  less 
would  it  afterward  have  been  made  so  prominent  in  the 
divinely  authorized  ritual  of  the  Hebrews,  as  to  shadow 
forth  the  great  atoning  sacrifice  for  sin.  Until  the  giv- 
ing of  the  Law,  no  other  offering  than  that  of  an  ani- 
mal, with  the  single  exception  of  Cain's,  is  recorded  in 
Scripture.  The  sacrifices  of  Noah  and  Abraham,  and 
also  of  Job,  were  burnt-offerings;  and  when  the  law 
was  promulgated,  the  connection  between  animal  sacri- 
fice and  atonement  was  distinctly  made  known  by  God's 
own  declaration :  "  The  life  of  the  flesh  is  in  the  blood, 
and  I  have  given  it  to  you  upon  the  altar,  to  make 
an  atonement  for  your  souls."* 

*   Lev.  xvii.  11. 


2'2  THE    SONS    OF    THE    PriJST    MAN. 

Hence  the  conclusion  that  Abel's  offering  was  an 
animal  victim,  and  that  it  had  reference  to  the  sacrifice 
of  our  redemption  ;  and  the  manner  in  which  it  is  in- 
troduced in  the  narrative  —  the  allusion  to  a  stated  time 
for  the  performance  of  the  duty  —  clearly  indicates  the 
pre-existence  of  this  rite  ;  so  that  what  Abel  did,  Adam 
must  have  done. 

If  it  be  admitted,  then,  that  the  phraseology  in  which 
Abel's  offering  is  mentioned,  is  not  conclusive  as  to  the 
nature  of  his  sacrifice,  the  fact  that  his  parents  were 
clothed  by  the  Lord  God  in  the  skins  of  beasts,  furnishes 
incidental  proof,  that  in  offering  an  animal  victim, 
he  followed  their  example.  To  those  who  have  not 
reflected  on  this  circumstance,  the  proof  may  not  be 
obvious.  But  how  came  they  by  their  coats  of  skins  ? 
It  is  not  probable  that  animals  died  of  themselves, 
so  soon  after  their  creation  ;  nor  that  they  w'ere  slaugh- 
tered for  food,  for  the  grant  of  animal  food  was  not  till 
after  the  deluge  ;  nor  that  Adam,  without  Divine  direc- 
tion, would  have  ventured  to  slaughter  them  for  the  sake 
of  their  skins,  if  indeed  such  an  idea  had  occurred  to  him  ; 
nor  that  the  Lord  God  ordered  them  to  be  slain  for  such 
a  purpose,  when  their  wool  or  hair  would  have  answered, 
and  could  have  been  procured  without  injury  to  their 
lives.  It  follows,  then,  that  they  were  slain  by  Divine 
authority,  primarily  as  victims  ;  and  that  the  whole  of 
the  victim  was  devoted  to  the  purpose  of  sacrifice,  except 
the  skin,  which  our  first  parents  were  directed  to  use  as 
covering,  and  perhaps  as  a  constant  memorial  of  the  death 
which  their  transgression  merited,  and  of  the  Divine 
mercy  by  which  that  death  was  withheld.      Hence  it  is 


THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN.  23 

said  that  "  the  Lord  God  made  coats  of  skins  and  cloth- 
ed them ;"  and  hence  the  appointment  under  the  Levit- 
ical  economy,  that  "  the  priest  should  have  the  sTcin  of 
the  burnt-offering."* 

In  view  of  such  considerations,  it  is  unreasonable  to 
regard  the  institution  of  sacrifice  as  a  mere  human  in- 
vention which  had  its  origin  in  anthropomorphic  notions 
of  the  Deity.  Even  Priestley,  with  strange  inconsisten- 
cy, found  himself  obliged  to  admit,  that  "  on  the  whole 
it  seems  most  probable  that  men  were  instructed  by  the 
Divine  Being  himself  in  this  mode  of  worship,  as  well 
as  taught  many  other  things  that  were  necessary  to  their 
subsistence  and  comfort."t 

If,  then,  the  ordinance  of  sacrifice  may  be  referred  to 
so  early  a  period  in  the  history  of  man,  it  must  have 
been  instituted  by  God  in  consequence  of  the  fall ;  nor 
is  it  to  be  presumed  that  God  would  have  instituted  such 
an  ordinance  without  imparting  to  fallen  man  some  in- 
sight into  its  nature  and  design  ;  otherwise  he  would  have 
been  left  in  ignorance  of  the  mode  of  his  reconciliation 
with  God,  and  his  observance  of  a  rite  that  he  did  not 
understand,  instead  of  being  a  religious  act,  would  have 
been  an  act  of  superstition.  Most  probably,  therefore,  it 
was  explained  in  connection  with  the  promised  seed  of 
the  woman  :  the  devotement  of  an  animal  victim  prac- 
tically exhibiting  the  mode  in  which  that  mortal  part 
was  to  be  bruised,  as  the  substitute  of  the  sinner.  Un- 
less an  explanatory  revelation  had  accompanied  the  first 
made  promise,  it  is  impossible  to  account  for  the  wo- 
man's remarkable  declaration  on  the  birth  of  her  first  son : 

*  Lev.  vii.  8.  f  See  his  note  on  Gen.  iv.  3. 


24  THE    SOXS    OF    TUK    FIT.ST    MAN. 

"I  have  gotten,"  not  "c/  man,"  hut  'V//c  man  ;"  that  is,  the 
God-man,  the  Angel  of  Jehovah  !  and  quite  as  difficult  to 
account  for  tlic  facts,  that  even  in  the  gentile  world  the 
ordinance  of  sacrifice  was  associated  whh  some  vague 
notions  respecting  a  Divine  victim.  But  if  Christ  was 
the  "  Lamb  of  God  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world,"  a  memorial  was  then  needed,  and  none  could 
have  been  more  suitable  and  expressive  than  that  of  an- 
imal sacrifice.  It  was  a  sacramental  memorial  answer- 
ing to  the  gospel  ordinance,  to  show  forth  the  Lord's 
death  until  he  come. 

Abel's  offering,  therefore,  was  such  as  became  a  fallen 
creature  who  acknowledged  his  apostasy,  and  felt  his  need 
of  an  atonement;  but  Cain's,  instead  of  being  a  piacular 
sacrifice,  such  as  had  been  required  by  God  and  estab- 
lished by  usage,  was  simply  eucharistic  —  as  to  a  Being 
whom  he  had  never  offended.  Hence  Paul  not  only 
places  the  blood  of  Abel's  sacrifice  in  direct  comparison 
with  the  blood  of  Christ,  which  he  styles  pre-eminently 
"  the  blood  of  sprinkling,"  and  represents  both  "  as 
speaking  good  things"  in  different  degrees  ;*  he  draws 
a  distinction  between  the  brothers'  respective  sacrifices  : 
"  By  faith  Abel  offered  unto  God  a  more  excellent  sac- 
rifice than  Cain  ;"t  and  why  more  excellent,  but  that 
it  was  distinguished  by  faith?  What  faith? — a  general 
persuasion  that  God  would  accept  his  offering?  This 
cannot  be,  for  the  cause  of  Cain's  disappointment  was 
that  his  was  not  accepted.  It  was  expressed,  then,  by 
Abel's  bloody  piacular  sacrifice  ;  and  as  the  Scriptures 
assign  no  otiier  object  of  this  faith  than  the  promise  of  a 

*  Heb.xii.  24.  +  Hcb.  xi.  4. 


THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN.  25 

Redeemer,  his  faith  implies  that  its  object,  as  well  as  the 
medium  of  its  expression,  had  been  distinctly  revealed, 
and  was  in  effect  a  prospective  faith  in  the  coming  Messiah 
—  like  that  "by  which,"  as  Paul  said,  "  the  elders  ob- 
tained a  good  report ;"  while  Cain's  bloodless  offering 
betrayed  his  unbelief  in  the  need  of  a  vicarious  expia- 
tion—  the  inmost  sentiment  of  his  heart  being,  that  it 
was  enough  for  him  to  thank  God  for  his  mercies,  not 
to  humble  himself  on  account  of  his  sins,  much  less  de- 
plore his  apostasy. 

As  every  one,  then,  should  honor  God  with  his  sub- 
stance according  as  he  has  been  prospered ;  so  no  one 
who  does  not  come  before  him  in  the  name  of  the  great 
anti-typical  Lamb,  can  scripturally  hope  in  his  favor. 
The  condition  of  our  acceptance  is  virtually  the  same 
as  when  Abel  laid  the  hand  of  his  faith  upon  the  head 
of  the  bleeding  victim.  Since  man,  by  transgressing  the 
Divine  law,  had  exposed  himself  to  the  penalty  of  death, 
spiritual  as  well  as  temporal,  no  religion  could  have  been 
suitable  to  him  and  his  posterity  which  did  not  respect 
the  honor  of  that  law,  and  aim  to  restore  him  to  the 
prerogatives  and  felicities  of  his  original  nature.  Being 
guilty,  degenerate,  ruined,  it  is  certain  he  can  never 
make  satisfaction  to  Divine  justice,  nor  restore  himself 
to  holiness  ;  and  therefore,  Christianity,  in  Its  remedial 
and  sanctifying  agency,  Is  true  to  man's  condition  as  a 
fallen  being  ;  true  to  the  promise  that  the  seed  of  the 
woman  should  bruise  the  head  of  the  serpent ;  true  to 
the  great  import  of  the  early  Institution  of  sacrifice.  He 
whom  we  regard  as  the  great  sacrifice  for  sin,  was  an- 
nounced immediately  after  man's  fatal  apostasy,  shad- 


26  THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN. 

owed  forth  by  the  piacular  sacrifices  which  relievei-i 
the  fears  and  sustained  the  hopes  of  successive  genera- 
tions; pointed  out  by  Moses,  and  with  gradually  increas- 
ing clearness  by  his  successors  in  the  prophetic  office  ; 
and  if  our  faith  is  stronger  or  more  clearly  defined  than 
Abel's,  his  was  not  the  less  acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God. 

In  what  way  God  manifested  his  acceptance  of  Abel's 
offering,  is  not  stated  ;  yet  as  there  was  but  one  sign  of 
the  acceptance  of  such  offerings,  it  was  probably  by  fire 
coming  down  from  above,  and  consuming  the  sacrifice 
—  as,  when  Moses  offered  the  first  great  burnt-offerings 
according  to  the  law  ;  when  Gideon  offered  upon  the 
rock  ;  when  David  stayed  the  plague  ;  when  Solomon 
dedicated  the  temple ;  or  when  Elijah  put  to  confusion 
the  worshippers  of  Baal.  To  "  accept  one's  burnt- 
offering"  was,  according  to  the  Hebrew  sense  of  the 
phrase,  "  to  turn  it  into  ashes  ;"  whereby  it  was  de- 
clared and  understood  that  the  innocent  was  accepted 
in  room  of  the  guilty — the  sacrifice  having  sustained 
the  vengeance  that  would  otherwise  have  fallen  on  the 
sinner.  The  Divine  acceptance  of  Abel's  offering  must 
have  been  signified  in  some  decided  and  unequivocal 
manner.  Cain  at  once  perceived  that  his  own  was  re- 
jected ;  b\}t,  instead  of  humbling  himself  on  account  of 
his  sin,  or  being  angry  with  himself  that  he  could  have 
presumed  to  palm  such  a  sacrifice  on  the  holy  and  heart- 
searching  God,  he  is  strangely  out  of  temper.  His  hard 
thoughts  of  God,  his  envious  if  not  vindictive  feelings 
toward  his  brother,  may  be  read  in  the  expression  of 
his  fearfully  altered  countenance. 


THE    SONS    OF    TflE    FIRST    MAN.  27 

But  God,  instead  of  treating  him  according  to  his  ill 
deserts,  manifested  his  forbearance  ;  instead  of  rebuking 
him  in  sore  displeasure,  condescended  to  reason  with  him  ; 
and  in  so  doing,  laid  down  the  essential  principles  of 
his  moral  government — principles  by  which  he  himself 
is  necessarily  governed  in  his  judgment  of  men,  and 
which,  as  he  cannot  deny  himself,  they  can  never  vio- 
late with  impunity. 

"  Why  art  thou  wroth?  and  why  is  thy  countenance 
fallen?"  —  God  can  have  no  pleasure  in  his  death. 
Cain  shall  have  no  just  reason  to  complain.  If  he  will 
not  listen  to  the  voice  of  kind  expostulation,  his  con- 
duct will  be  only  the  more  inexcusable.  "  If  thou  doest 
well,  shalt  thou  not  be  accepted?"  As  though  God  had 
said  :  You  Jjlame  me  for  having  had  respect  to  Abel's 
offering ;  but  if  you  had  done  well,  your  offering  would 
have  been  accepted  also  ;  or  if  you  should  now  bring 
an  offering  in  penitence  and  faith,  you  shall  be  accepted. 
There  is  room  for  repentance,  and  hope  for  the  guilty. 
"  But  if  thou  doest  not  well,  sin  lieth  at  the  door  :"  you 
will  be  tempted  to  greater  sins  ;  you  will  go  on  in  the 
error  of  your  ways,  nor  will  you  be  able  to  escape  the 
punishment  due  to  your  sins :  there  is  an  inseparable 
bond  between  sin  and  punishment. 

It  has  been  supposed  that,  as  the  original  word  here 
translated  sin,  may  be  rendered,  in  accordance  with  the 
tenor  of  other  passages  in  the  Old  Testament,  a  sin- 
offering,  or  a  sacrifice  for  sin,  there  was  an  intimation  to 
Cain  of  the  Divine  mercy,  on  condition  of  his  making  a 
sin-offering  in  the  faith  of  a  Redeemer.  Certainly  it  is 
not  unreasonable  to  conclude,  from  God's  approbation 


38  THE    SONS    OK    THE    FIRST    MAN. 

of  the  one  sacrifice  and  rejection  of  the  other,  that  he 
rebuked  Cain  for  not  conforming  to  that  species  of  sac- 
rifice which  his  brother  had  offered.  We  have  already 
seen  that  the  difference  in  their  sacrifices  was  the  ground 
of  that  distinction  which  God  made  in  his  treatment  of 
the  sacrificers  ;  and  if  so,  it  follows  that  he  enforced  the 
observance  of  animal  sacrifice.  The  general  sense  of 
the  passage  is,  however,  that  if  Cain  did  as  he  ought, 
he  would  be  accepted  ;  if  not,  God  could  not  pardon 
him,  nor  could  he  himself  arrest  the  downward  course 
of  transgression,  or  preclude  its  consequences  :  and  the 
experience  of  the  world  ever  since  has  borne  testimony 
to  the  fact,  that  whenever  any  man  does  not  do  as  he 
ought,  sin  lies  at  the  door.  Skeptics  do  but  betray  their 
own  ignorance  of  the  natural  course  of  things  in  this 
world,  or  their  wilful  disregard  of  the  teachings  of  facts, 
when  they  cavil  at  the  Divine  authority  of  the  Mosaic 
record,  on  the  ground  that  death  was  made  the  penalty 
of  merely  eating  an  apple ;  and  that  Cain  incurred  the 
Divine  displeasure  merely  because  he  did  not  sacrifice 
a  lamb  !  Adam's  sin  was  in  itself  an  oven  act  of  rebel- 
lion, deranging,  so  far  as  its  effects  might  extend,  the 
moral  government  of  the  world  :  Cain's  sin  was  not 
only  the  violation  of  a  known  injunction  ;  it  implied  the 
questioning  of  God's  right  to  his  obedience,  and  an  im- 
peachment of  God's  holiness. 

The  father,  by  his  sin,  parted  with  Paradise  ;  and  the 
son,  by  his,  parted  with  peace.  The  former  humbly 
availed  himself  of  the  benefit  of  the  promised  seed  ;  the 
latter  not  merely  neglected  to  observe  parental  precept 
and  example,  but  showed  his  disbelief  of  the  Divine 


THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN.  29 

promise,  and  his  dissatisfaction  with  God's  appointed 
ordinance.  The  former,  notwithstanding  his  sin,  set  an 
example  of  penitence  and  faith ;  the  latter,  through  the 
pride  and  selfishness  of  his  heart,  instituted  will-worship, 
and  by  his  offering  set  an  example  of  infidelity,  and  of 
insubordination  to  Heaven's  rule.  Still,  God  remon- 
strated with  him  ;  and  it  is  evident  from  this  recorded 
fact,  that  notwithstanding  his  excuseless  conduct,  he, 
equally  with  his  brother,  might  have  been  at  last  ac- 
cepted, had  he  only  repented,  and,  in  the  hope  of  the 
promise,  brought  an  offering  for  sin.  But  in  him  we 
have  a  picture  of.  the  woful  change  which  sin  had 
wrought  in  man's  original  nature.  The  fact  that  Abel's 
offering  was  accepted,  seems  to  have  stirred  up  in  his 
bosom  every  evil  passion.  He  was  angry  at  his  brother 
for  having  done  well ;  and  even  the  Divine  remonstrance, 
instead  of  softening  his  feelings,  served  rather  to  exas- 
perate his  spirit.  This  is  the  not  unusual  result  of  ex- 
postulation with  those  who,  while  conscious  of  having 
done  wrong,  are  yet  unwilling  to  do  right.  God's  min- 
isters can  do  no  more  than  reason  with  sinful  men,  and 
warn  them  of  the  error  of  their  ways  ;  and  if  they 
will  not  heed  the  voice  of  faithful  reproof  and  affection- 
ate warning,  their  guilt  is  aggravated,  as  Cain's  was,  and 
their  case  may  be  quite  as  hopeless. 

We  are  prone  to  think  that  all  is  well  with  one,  so 
long  as  he  is  attentive  to  the  duties  of  his  calling. 
Man's  relations  to  his  God  are  practically  deemed  of 
no  importance  compared  with  his  relations  to  the  com- 
munity. He  may  live  in  the  neglect  of  all  religious  du- 
ties, yet  feel  himself  not  unworthy  of  the  Divine  accept- 


30  THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN. 

ance.  He  may  train  up  his  children  to  respect  the 
rules  of  society,  but  to  teach  them  to  observe  the  ordi- 
nances of  Heaven  is  not,  in  his  view,  essential  to  their 
welfare.  Yet  the  very  first  sin,  after  man's  fall,  was  a 
disregard  of  sacred  matters !  This  was  followed  by 
envy  and  anger,  by  murmurings  against  God,  and  by 
malice,  which  fast  ripened  into  hate,  and  terminated  in 
a  brother's  bloody  death.  So  may  the  ruinous  course 
of  many  a  young  man  be  traced  to  a  neglect  of  ordi- 
nances, which  he  had  been  taught  to  respect,  or  to  a 
violation  of  the  Sabbath,  which  he  had  been  brought  up 
to  observe.  Philosophy  may  trace  crime  to  unbridled 
passions  ;  but  the  Bible  teaches  us  that  all  evils  flow 
from  sin.  Man's  heart  cannot  be  right  toward  his  neigh- 
bor, unless  right  toward  God.  He  who  withholds  from 
God  his  dues,  may  at  any  time  deprive  his  neighbor  of 
his  rights.  He  who  reverences  God,  will  respect  God's 
image  in  man.  He  who  looks  up  to  God  with  a  grate- 
ful, lowly  heart,  is  free  from  "  envy,  hatred,  and  malice, 
and  all  uncharitableness."  Loving  God,  he  loves  his 
neighbor  as  himself. 

Sinful  men,  however,  are  apt  to  be  unreasonable  in 
relation  to  the  claims  of  God.  Not  only  must  they  be 
permitted  to  serve  God  in  their  own  way,  but  they 
expect  to  be  accepted  —  no  matter  whether  their  offer- 
ing has  been  merely  the  homage  of  the  lips,  a  conscience- 
quieting  compliance  with  some  religious  custom,  or  some 
beggarly  charity  as  an  atonement  for  a  life  habitually 
careless  and  undevout ;  as  though  God  had  not  a  right  to 
prescribe  the  way  in  which  he  is  to  be  worshipped  —  a 
valid  claim  on  all  that  we  have  and  are ;  or  could  be 


THE    SONS    OP    THE    FIRST    MAN.  SI 

pleased  with  a  heartless,  faithless  sacrifice  !  Of  all  who 
presume  on  the  Divine  acceptance,  they  are  the  most 
deceived,  who,  overlooking  the  manner  in  which  God 
has  required  us  to  worship  him,  or  the  only  grounds  on 
which,  in  consistency  with  his  high  perfections,  he  can 
justify  the  sinner  —  make  a  merit  of  their  formal  observ- 
ances, and  astentatious  almsgiving,  or  barren  virtues : 
and  the  reason  may  be  found  in  the  fact  that,  just  in 
proportion  as  men  make  a  merit  before  God  of  any  thing 
they  do,  are  they  blind  to  the  spirituality  of  his  law, 
and  to  their  own  guilt  and  ill  deserts  ;  while  any  attempt 
to  shake  their  vain  confidence,  often  leads  them  to  for- 
tify their  ground  by  the  additional  consideration,  that 
God  can  be  neither  just  nor  good,  if  they  are  not  to  be 
accepted.  Here  is  the  origin  of  hard  thoughts  of  God, 
and  of  all  repugnance  to  the  principles  of  his  holy  word  : 
man's  desire  to  be  accepted  without  being  obliged  to 
renounce  the  preconceptions  of  his  darkened  mind,  and 
the  prepossessions  of  his  depraved  heart.  That  is  the 
darling  religion  for  fallen  men,  which  will  serve  to  quiet 
them  in  their  formality  and  worldliness.  Thus  it  is  that 
corrupt  systems  of  religious  faith  so  often  displace  the 
religion  of  the  Bible,  and  that  the  Bible  itself,  in  some 
instances,  comes  to  be  rejected :  thus,  also,  that  men 
often  go  on  in  the  ways  of  their  heart,  yet  hope  all  will 
be  well ;  and  that,  while  knowingly  neglecting  God's 
requirements,  they  aim  to  exculpate  themselves.  This, 
indeed,  is  a  sad  feature  of  our  fallen  nature — to  attempt 
to  justify  one's  self,  even  when  consciously  in  the  wrong ; 
to  be  angry  at  those  whom  we  have  injured,  rather  than 
to  reproach  ourselves  —  like  th.e  criminal  who  condemns 


32  THE    SONS    OF    THE    FHIST    MAN. 

the  laws  which  condemn  him,  and  the  judge  who  pro 
nounces  his  sentence,  rather  than  condemn  himself; 
and  hence  the  sinner  is  so  often  led  to  question  the  rec- 
titude of  the  law,  rather  than  admit  his  own  blamewor- 
thiness—  to  think  that  God  is  a  hard  master,  and  will 
do  him  wrong,  should  he  not  be  finally  accepted  !  This 
is  more  than  unreasonable  —  it  is  impiety  and  rebellion 
—  a  determination  to  put  off  the  claims  of  God  with 
any  thing,  and  yet  to  demand  heaven  as  a  right ! 

In  like  manner,  unworthy  thoughts  of  God  are  not 
unfrequently  suggested  by  the  difference  in  his  provi- 
dential dealings  with  individuals.  Overrating  their  own 
merits,  or  rather  unmindful  of  the  fact  that  they  are  sin- 
ners, men  are  prone  to  give  way  to  feelings  of  irritable 
dejection  —  virtually  accusing  Him  who  made  them,  of 
being  either  arbitrary  in  his  procedures,  or  partial  in 
the  bestowment  of  his  favors.  So  they  who,  by  their 
improvidences,  have  precluded  their  own  advancement 
in  life,  are  apt  to  harbor  invidious  sentiments  toward 
those  whose  wise  forethought  has,  under  favor  of  Provi- 
dence, led  to  their  success.  It  is  not  always  necessary 
to  injure  our  neighbor  in  his  person  or  property,  before 
we  can  incur  his  displeasure  :  to  do  what  he  has  not 
done  —  what  he  will  not  or  cannot  do  —  is,  under  cer- 
tain circumstances,  an  offence  to  his  self-love,  which  he 
may  not  easily  pardon.  Similar  feelings  are  sometimes 
expressed  in  relation  to  those  whose  prayerful  diligence 
in  the  cause  of  religion  has  been  signally  owned  and 
blessed  of  Heaven. 

But  to  blame  Providence,  or  to  envy  the  righteous ; 
to  quarrel  with  those  rebukes  which,  by  our  own  sins 


THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN.  33 

we  have  brought  upon  ourselves ;  or  to  be  indignant 
with  those  who,  by  abounding  in  the  fruits  of  righteous- 
ness, have  rendered  themselves,  through  Jesus  Christ, 
approved  in  the  sight  of  God  —  is,  in  either  respect,  the 
sign  of  a  bad  heart  —  it  is  the  disposition  of  Cain  —  and 
oftener  betrayed  by  the  lowering  look,  than  we  may  be 
forward  to  suspect  or  willing  to  admit.  "  The  foolish- 
ness of  man  perverteth  his  way  :"  still  worse  —  after 
perverting  his  own  way,  then  "  his  heart  fretteth  against 
the  Lord !"  Though  his  own  ways  are  not  equal  and 
right,  yet,  to  shield  himself  from  self-condemnation,  and 
justify  himself  in  his  envy  and  spleen,  he  says  in  his 
heart  that  "  God's  ways  are  not  equal."  Cain-like  in 
his  feelings,  he  will  neither  do  well  himself,  nor  allow 
others  to  do  well ;  neither  "  go  into  the  kingdom  himself, 
nor  suffer  them  that  are  entering  to  go  in  !"  Even  the 
work  of  "  casting  out  devils"  must  be  done  according  to 
his  manner  of  "  sacrificing,"  or  it  is  not  well  done.  To 
anticipate  him  in  works  of  love  and  mercy,  is  to  be 
exposed  to  his  indignant  rebuke.  Such  is  the  disposi- 
tion of  the  carnal  heart,  unhappily  oftener  betrayed  in 
religious  matters  than  in  secular  affairs. 

But,  however  men,  through  the  force  of  their  pride 
and  selfishness,  may  discern  in  the  ways  of  Providence 
what  they  regard  as  just  cause  for  dissatisfaction  and 
complaint,  God  has  a  perfect  right  to  do  what  he  will 
with  his  own,  and  to  bestow  his  favors  on  whom  he 
pleases.  To  withhold  from  him  this  right,  is  to  deny 
his  sovereignty  over  his  creatures,  and,  that  by  reason 
of  sin,  we  have  forfeited  all  claim  on  his  goodness, 
■^till,  though  God  is  under  no  obligation  to  make  all 


34  THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN. 

his  creatures  equal  in  respect  to  their  natural  gifts  and 
advantages  in  life,  yet  "  is  he  no  respecter  of  persons  :" 
no  one  is  favored  by  him  more  than  another,  on  account 
of  something  personal.  Hating  nothing  that  he  has 
made,  the  souls  of  his  creatures  are  equally  dear  to  him  ; 
and  whatever  provision  has  been  made  for  the  salvation 
of  one,  is  made  for  all.  "  He  has  fashioned  all  their 
hearts  alike"  —  is  not  willing  that  any  should  perish  — 
denies  his  favor  to  none  unless  they  have  forfeited  it  by 
their  own  acts,  and  becomes  the  enemy  only  of  those 
who  "  hate  him  without  a  cause."  In  relation  to  Cain, 
God,  so  far  from  having  been  actuated  by  any  personal 
antipathy  or  prejudice,  acted  according  to  the  established 
law  of  his  kingdom.  He  could  not  have  had  respect  to 
Cain  and  his  offering,  without  relinquishing  his  claim  to 
the  heartfelt  homage  of  his  intelligent  creation,  hood- 
winking vice  and  hypocrisy,  sanctioning  unbelief  in  the 
promised  seed,  and  doing  fatal  injustice  to  Abel  and  his 
offering.  To  have  made  no  difference  between  their 
respective  offerings,  and  expressed  his  approbation  of 
both  alike,  would  have  been  to  encourage  the  one  in 
his  wickedness  and  infidelity,  and  discourage  the  other 
in  his  righteousness  and  faith.  To  suppose  that  God 
could  have  failed  to  discriminate  between  the  sacrifi- 
ces, is  to  conceive  that  he  might  confound  moral  dis- 
tinctions, and  break  the  sceptre  of  his  own  uncreated 
rule. 

As  Cain,  then,  had  no  just  reason  to  be  angry  with 
God,  neither  has  any  man  now.  Unchangeable  in  his 
nature  and  perfections,  God  adheres  to  the  same  high 
principles  in  the  administration   of  his  moral   govern- 


THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN.  35 

ment.  He  can  no  more  be  partial  than  he  can  be  false. 
While  his  laws  are  unchangeable,  his  ways  cannot  be 
unequal.  He  "  has  written  unto  us  the  great  things  of 
his  law" — told  us  his  will  and  our  duty  —  set  before 
us  life  and  death,  blessing  and  cursing.  Each  soul  is 
held  responsible  for  its  own  acts  ;  and  in  his  judgment 
of  men  he  will  be  influenced  by  no  personal  considera^ 
tions,  no  partiality  or  prejudice,  no  respect  whatever 
either  to  their  rank,  their  riches,  their  business,  or  their 
power.  Righteous  in  his  judgment,  he  will  judge  men, 
not  as  they  judge  one  another,  but  as  they  ought  to  be 
judged  —  according  to  their  real  moral  character;  he 
will  treat  them,  not  with  any  reference  to  the  things  for 
which,  through  their  pride  and  worldhness,  they  are 
vxont  to  esteem  one  another,  but  as  they  ought  to  be 
treated  —  according  to  their  moral  deserts.  No  sinner 
can  be  saved  but  by  the  grace  of  God ;  yet  all  will  at 
last  be  judged  according  to  their  works  ;  and  thus, 
whether  men  be  saved  or  lost,  there  will  be  no  ground 
for  either  boasting  or  complaining.  It  was  in  well- 
doing that  Abel  obtained  eternal  life  :  his  life  and  works 
bore  witness  to  his  faith,  and  the  righteousness  of  him 
in  whom  he  believed,  was  the  ground  for  his  justification 
before  God.  Hence  the  Divine  announcement  to  Cain  : 
"  If  thou  doest  well,  shalt  thou  not  be  accepted  ?  And 
if  thou  doest  not  well,  sin  lieth  at  the  door"  —  unfor- 
given  sin — ever-besetting  sin  —  changeless,  indestructi- 
ble sin — which  will  follow  hard  after  thee  whithersoever 
thou  goest  —  go  down  with  thee  through  the  gates  of 
death,  and  rise  with  thee,  and  appear  as  a  swift  witness 
against  thee  in  judgment !      Such  is  the  great  principle 


36  THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIRST   MAN. 

of  God's  government:  "He  will  render  to  every  man 
according  to  his  deeds."  If  any  then  be  lost,  whose 
will  be  the  fault?  Alas  !  damned  soul,  hadst  thou  only 
done  well,  thou  mighest  have  been  a  glorified  saint. 

Cain's  jealousy  of  his  brother  was  probably  enhanced 
through  fear  of  losing  whatever  privileges  and  rights 
belonged  to  him  as  the  first-born  ;  but  God  did  not 
intend  this,  and  therefore  told  him  that  his  acceptance 
of  Abel's  offering  did  not  transfer  to  him  the  birth- 
right. In  this  respect  also  may  the  Past  be  seen  in  the 
Present.  God's  acceptance  of  the  offerings  of  the  righ- 
teous does  not  alter  the  distinctions  which  his  provi- 
dence has  made  among  men.  The  wicked  may  be 
prospered,  the  righteous  may  not  succeed.  God  does  not 
change  his  laws  to  obstruct  the  former  in  their  wicked- 
ness, nor  to  favor  the  latter  in  their  well-doing.  The 
wicked  may  live  on  in  prosperity,  the  righteous  may  be 
cut  off  by  the  hand  of  violence.  The  difference  between 
them  is  in  their  hearts,  not  in  their  outward  circum- 
stances. It  cannot  be  known  from  God's  outward  deal- 
ings with  them  whether  they  are  righteous  or  wicked. 
Who  would  not  suppose  that  so  righteous  a  man  as 
Abel  would  have  been  shielded  from  all  harm  ?  Shall 
the  good  be  thus  requited  ?  Shall  it  be  told  in  all  com- 
ing generations  that  God  suffered  Abel  to  be  cruelly 
slaughtered  ?  and  that  Cain  —  the  murderer  !  — was  per- 
mitted to  live?  The  first  death — that  of  a  righteous 
man  !  The  first  slain  —  a  righteous  man  !  Who  shall 
describe  the  emotions  of  his  parents  as  they  hung  over 
his  bloody  corse  ?  What  must  have  been  their  conster- 
nation, their  anguish   and    despair,  when   they  beheld 


THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIR3T    MAN.  37 

death  for  the  first  time,  and  then  in  the  Hvid,  mutilated 

features  of  their  beloved  son  !  — 

"  Alas  !  both  for  the  deed,  and  for  the  cause ! 
But  have  I  now  seen  death  ?     Is  this  the  way 
I  must  return  to  native  dust  ?     Oh,  sight 
Of  terror,  foul  and  ugly  to  behold ! 
Horrid  to  think,  how  horrible  to  feel!" 

We  know  what  a  sore  evil  death  is  to  the  father, 
when  it  strikes  down  before  him  the  hope  and  joy  of 
his  heart ;  but  we  cannot  enter  into  the  feelings  of  Adam, 
unless  we  could  with  him  recall  the  bliss  of  Eden,  and 
realize  the  consequences  of  his  sin,  not  merely  in  his 
banishment  from  those  peaceful  scenes,  but  in  the  en- 
trance of  crime  and  death  into  the  relations  of  his  family. 
His  sons?  —  the  one  murdered!  the  other — his  first- 
born—  the  murderer!  Sad  effects  of  his  apostasy! 
enough  to  have  brought  his  own  sin  back  to  his  re- 
membrance with  whelming  force.  And  who  shall  say 
that  it  was  not  so  ordered,  that  Adam  might  have  a  deeper 
sense  of  the  evils  of  his  sin,  and  feel  that  there  was  no 
peace  for  him  but  in  the  hope  of  the  promise,  and  final 
deliverance  from  the  power  of  the  grave  ? 

The  memory  of  that  bloody  act  cannot  be  obliterated. 
It  is  the  first  death,  and  the  death  of  one  who  had  led 
an  upright  life  —  whose  sacrifice  to  God  had  just  been 
accepted  !  What  a  triumph  for  the  Wicked  One  ! 
what  an  insidious  weapon  does  it  furnish  for  him  to 
wield  in  assailing  virtue,  and  in  encouraging  vice  and 
crime  !  How  disastrous  its  effects  in  all  future  times  ! 
Shall  we  say  it  is  no  wonder  wickedness  increased  as 
men  multiplied  ?  that  men  grew  bold  in  iniquity  until 
God  repented  that  he  had  made  man  ?     No  ;  let  us  not 

4 


88  THE    SOXS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN. 

SO  wrong  God,  or  be  so  unmindful  of  our  high  relations, 
Cain  lived  on  ;  but  who  that  reflects  for  a  moment, 
would  not  rather  have  been  in  the  place  of  his  murdered 
brother  ?  Cain  lived  only  to  work  out  his  own  punish- 
ment. God  put  a  mark  on  him,  that  all  men  might 
know  and  shun  the  fratricide,  and  that  the  remem- 
brance of  his  bloody  deed  might  serve  as  a  warning  in 
all  coming  times.  Men  need  warnings  against  irreligion 
and  crime,  as  well  as  incentives  to  faith  and  piety.  We 
are  not  told  when  or  how  Cain  died.  He  had  been 
guilty  of  a  woful  sin  —  doubly  aggravated  by  his  dis- 
regard of  Heaven's  own  expostulations.  He  had  lied 
in  ihe  very  presence  of  God,  to  conceal  his  crime,  and 
insultingly  replied  to  God's  inquiry ;  in  killing  his 
brother,  he  had  virtually  aimed  a  ruthless  blow  at  God 
himself!  and  it  is  enough  for  us  to  know  that  his  life 
was  a  hell  on  earth  —  the  prelude  of  a  deeper,  darker 
hell  beyond  the  grave. 

So  much  for  having  given  way  to  evil  passions  —  for 
not  having  done  as  he  ought  to  have  done  before  re- 
morse precluded  godly  sorrow,  and  the  stern  demands 
of  justice  silenced  the  voice  of  mercy.  Ye  who  neither 
fear  God  nor  regard  man  ;  ye  who  say  in  your  hearts, 
"What  profit  shall  we  have  if  we  pray  unto  him?"  and 
act  on  the  presumption  that  religion  is  vain  ;  ye  who 
are  beginning  to  "  eat  of  the  fruit  of  your  own  ways"  — 
say,  what  means  that  mark  on  Cain's  forehead  ?  whence 
and  how  came  it  there — so  deeply  engraven  that  it  can 
never  be  effaced  ? 

There  can  be  no  security  against  the  most  awful  vio- 
lation of  God's  commandments,  but  in   timely  repen- 


THE    SONS    OP    THE    FIRST    MAN.  39  . 

tance.  The  way  of  sin  is  downward  by  accelerated 
steps ;  and  no  one  can  say,  when  he  begins  to  do 
wrong,  where  he  will  stop  !  Hence  sin  brings  with  it 
its  own  punishment.  The  longer  one  goes  on  to  sin, 
the  greater  obstacles  will  he  encounter,  the  more  bitter 
will  be  his  disappointments,  and  the  deeper  his  convic- 
tion that  God  has  a  controversy  with  him,  until  he  is  at 
last  forced,  as  it  were,  to  reiterate  the  exclamation,  "  My 
punishment  is  greater  than  I  can  bear !" 

There  is  no  peace  to  the  wicked.  Whatever  their 
creed  or  their  devices,  they  cannot  alter  the  constitution 
of  things  ;  cannot  be  happy  while  living  in  the  neglect 
of  known  duty  ;  cannot  find  peace  and  safety  in  depart- 
ing from  God,  and  violating  the  laws  of  their  moral 
being.  At  some  period  of  their  history,  their  sin  will 
find  them  out  —  be  charged  home  on  them  —  show  it- 
self in  their  woe-worn  visage,  their  anguished  spirit, 
their  fearful  expectation  of  coming  wrath  :  if  not  here, 
hereafter  it  shall  find  them  out,  and  then  "bite  like  a 
serpent,  and  sting  like  an  adder." 

The  record  does  not  authorize  us  to  affix  to  Cain's 
punishment  the  idea  of  eternal.  The  future  life  was 
not  at  so  early  a  period  clearly  revealed,  and  every  thing 
then  was  concealed  under  the  veil  of  temporary  good 
and  evil ;  nor  is  it  to  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that 
Cain's  life  was  spared,  that  blood  does  not  demand 
blood.  "  Whoso  sheddeth  man's  blood,  by  man  shall 
his  blood  be  shed,"  was  the  subsequent  ordinance  of 
Heaven  ;  but,  at  the  period  to  which  we  refer,  Cain 
could  not  have  died  by  the  hand  of  man,  unless  it  had 
been  either  by  an  act  of  private  revenge,  or  by  the  hand 


40  THE    SONS    OF    THE    ^IRST    MAN. 

of  his  own  father.  For  this  reason,  in  compassion  to 
his  father,  God  might  have  spared  Cain's  Hfe.  But 
neither  the  fact  that  God  did  not  strike  him  dead,  nor 
even  intimate  to  him,  so  far  as  we  know,  that  awful 
eternity  which  he  had  prepared  for  himself,  can  lessen 
our  impression  of  God's  wrath  and  curse  on  his  devoted 
head.  It  appears  to  me  that  no  one  can  duly  ponder 
the  record  of  Cain's  punishment,  without  the  conviction 
that  "  it  is  a  fearful  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
living  God."  What  a  doom  !  what  a  spectacle  of  un- 
utterable misery  !  Deprived  of  God's  favor  and  bless- 
ing—  cut  off  from  all  means  of  hope  —  cursed  from  the 
earth,  with  no  place  to  rest  his  head,  or  in  which  to  hide 
his  guilty  face  —  abandoned  of  God,  and  an  outcast 
from  men  !  his  life  in  perpetual  danger,  and  he  a  terror 
to  himself !  Be  it  so,  that  the  mark  was  primarily  de- 
signed that  no  man  should  lay  violent  hands  on  him  ; 
yet  it  was  also  that  all  men  might  take  warning  from 
his  forlorn  condition  :  and  with  the  full  blaze  of  Reve- 
lation streaming  upon  our  page,  what  does  such  a  spec- 
tacle of  impenitent  misery  image  to  our  mind  but  the 
condition  of  the  lost  soul,  "  punished  with  everlasting 
destruction  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  from  the 
glory  of  his  power?" 

Here,  also,  we  can  hardly  fail  to  perceive  how  imper- 
tinent are  all  those  speculative  inquiries  with  which  men 
so  often  embarrass  their  own  minds,  and  obstruct  the 
force  of  truth.  Though  God  foresaw  the  issue  of  Cain's 
anger,  and  did  not  interfere  to  prevent  his  crime,  except 
so  far  as  to  remonstrate  with  him,  and  warn  him  against 
the  consequences  of  impenitence  and  unbelief,  yet  is 


THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN.  41 

Cain  held  to  be  guilty,  and  punished  with  unrelenting 
severity.  But  if  these  events  were  brought  about  in 
accordance  with  the  Divine  purposes,  how  could  Cain 
be  regarded  as  culpable?  If  God  could  have  easily 
prevented  that  tragic  deed,  does  it  not  reflect  on  his 
holiness  and  goodness  that  he  did  not?  How  much 
better  for  the  brothers  had  they  been  upheld  in  virtuous 
devotion  to  the  will  of  God  !  Yes  ;  and  how  much  bet- 
ter for  Adam  and  his  posterity  had  he  only  been  re- 
strained from  eating  the  forbidden  fruit !  But  shall  we 
implicate  our  Maker  in  the  sins  of  his  creatures,  because 
they  might  not  have  sinned  had  they  not  been  left  to 
themselves  ?  As  well  say  that  all  darkness  is  from  the 
sun,  because  it  is  always  dark  when  the  sun  is  gone ! 
Or  shall  we  affirm  that,  as  the  fall  was  in  accordance 
with  the  Divine  purposes,  man  could  not  have  been  to 
blame  ?  With  as  much  truth  may  we  say,  that  a  Being 
of  infinite  skill  and  knowledge  could  not  have  so  formed 
man,  that  in  all  the  circumstances  in  which  he  might  be 
placed  he  should  possess  and  exercise  moral  agency ! 
If  man  could  have  been  constituted  a  moral  agent,  there 
is  nothing  unreasonable  in  supposing,  nor  any  thing  in- 
compatible with  his  personal  responsibility  in  admitting, 
that  his  Creator  might  have  determined  that,  in  the  per- 
fect exercise  of  his  moral  powers,  he  should  act  in  such 
a  manner,  and  form  such  a  character.  Certain  it  is  that 
God  made  man  upright :  this  might  be  made  to  appear 
on  grounds  independently  of  the  data  with  which  the 
record  has  furnished  us ;  and  had  man  retained  his 
fealty  to  God,  what  a  glorious  world  would  this  have 
been !     But  he  did  not,  and  hence  his  expulsion  from 

4* 


42  THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIRST    MATsT. 

the  meet  abode  of  innocence  and  bliss  ;  liis  toils  and 
trials;  his  bitter  disappointment  in  his  first-born  —  his 
agony  over  the  grave  of  Abel ! 

O  mortal !  cease  to  be  wise  above  what  is  written. 
Intrude  not  "where  angels  dare  not  tread" — thou  canst 
not  be  as  God.  Remember  thou  art  fallen  —  lost  to 
hope,  unless  his  grace  interpose  to  lead  thee  to  a  Re- 
deemer from  the  power  of  death  and  hell. 

Be  it  there  is  mystery  in  the  origin  of  evil  ;  there  is 
none  in  the  original  promise  that  the  seed  of  the  woman 
should  bruise  the  head  of  the  serpent.  This  serves  to 
light  up  the  darkness  that  envelops  the  Fall :  as  when 
the  noble  forest  of  the  Pyrenees  fell  before  the  con- 
suming blast,  a  pure  stream  of  silver  gushed  from  earth's 
bosom,  and  revealed  for  the  first  time  those  mines  after- 
ward so  celebrated  and  so  enriching  to  the  nations  ;  so, 
amid  the  ruins  of  the  Fall,  may  we  catch  a  glimpse  of 
that  wondrous  plan  since  developed,  and  now  gathering 
together  the  elect  of  God  from  the  ends  of  the  earth. 

Let  it  be  admitted,  too,  that  the  course  of  God's  prov- 
idence toward  the  righteous  often  seems  mysterious  ;  yet 
may  the  death  of  Abel  serve  to  guide  us  amid  the  per- 
plexities, and  succor  us  amid  the  trials,  and  cheer  us 
amid  the  sorrows  of  this  world  of  sin  and  misery.  That 
event  was  ordered  in  infinite  wisdom  and  love  !  By 
that  event  God  designed  to  teach  us  certain  great  lessons : 
that  this  world  is  not  the  final  home  of  the  righteous  ; 
that  the  time  and  manner  of  one's  death  are  of  little  ac- 
count, so  long  as  he  is  prepared  to  die  ;  that  it  is  greatly 
better  to  suffer  wrong  at  the  hands  of  a  brother,  than  to 
do  wrong ;  that  the  righteous  must  not  look  for  their 


THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN.  43 

i-eward  on  earth  ;  that  faith  is  the  great  criterion  of  man's 
religious  character,  not  his  exemption  from  the  ills  of 
life  ;  that,  though  the  wicked  ma}^  outlive  the  good,  it 
is  owing  to  the  infinite  forbearance  of  a  holy  God  ;  that 
a  wicked  man  is  more  to  be  pitied  in  his  long  life,  than 
the  righteous  in  his  speedy  death  ;  that  it  is  infinitely 
better  to  die  with  the  mark  of  the  Lamb  on  our  forehead, 
than  to  live  with  the  mark  of  Cain. 

We  are  wont  to  speak  of  the  power  of  Christian  faith  ; 
how  it  can  exorcise  self  from  the  human  bosom,  and 
render  a  man  dead  to  the  world  with  its  affections  and 
lusts,  and  imbue  his  mind  with  sentiments  of  the  noblest 
charity  and  most  sublime  devotion.  We  go  back  in 
thought  to  those  times  in  the  history  of  God's  people, 
when  Zechariah's  blood  was  poured  out  in  the  court  of 
the  house  of  the  Lord  ;  when  Stephen  yielded  up  his 
spirit  amid  the  missiles  and  execrations  of  an  infuriated 
rabble ;  or  when  such  men  as  Huss  and  Cranmer  sealed 
their  testimony  in  the  fires  of  the  stake  :  this  same  faith 
inimated  righteous  Abel,  and  he  was  first  of  that  no- 
ble army  of  martyrs!  The  first,  too,  to  enter  heaven  — 
thither  to  be  followed  by  all  holy  men  in  each  succeed- 
ing generation  of  the  church  of  God  ;  the  first  fruits 
of  that  victory  achieved  by  him  who  "  through  death 
destroyed  him  that  had  the  power  of  death." 

How  does  it  serve  to  divest  death  of  its  terrors,  when 
we  reflect  that  he  who  first  tasted  death  was  a  righteous 
man  ;  and  that  death  to  him  was  but  "  a  subterranean 
avenue  to  bliss  !"  How  does  it  serve  to  animate  our 
faith  in  him  who  offered  up  his  life  on  Calvary's  cross 
—  when  we  consider  that  it  was  by  faith  in  him,  Abel 


44  THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN. 

offered  up  a  more  acceptable  sacrifice  than  Cain  ;  and 
that,  though  the  first  to  die,  he  was  also  the  first  saved 
from  the  power  of  death  through  faith  in  him  whose 
blood  now  "  speaketh  better  things"  than  even  the  blood 
of  righteous  Abel  —  telling  us  that  he  who  should  come, 
has  come  ;  that  he  who  was  the  hope  of  the  promise,  is 
now  formed  in  the  soul  of  every  believer,  "  the  hope  of 
glory." 

We  plume  ourselves  on  the  lights  of  civilization  and 
philosophy,  and  hail  every  discovery  in  science  and  new 
phase  of  political  economy  and  religious  belief,  as  so 
many  new  and  more  potent  means  of  elevating  man's 
views,  and  improving  his  condition.  The  Past  with  its 
teachings  is  despised,  because  man  was  then  only  in  the 
infancy  of  his  race,  and  this  mighty  mind  within  us  had 
not  begun  to  be  conscious  of  its  giant  powers.  But 
what  was  the  history  of  the  Hebrew  nation  but  the  grad- 
ual unfolding  of  that  idea  which  was  embodied  in  Abel's 
sacrifice  ?  What  is  the  Christian  dispensation,  which  has 
given  birth  to  such  wondrous  changes  and  noble  achieve- 
ments, but  the  fuller  development  of  that  same  idea  ? 
To  what  do  we  owe  all  that  ennobles  existence  and  glad- 
dens life,  and  succors  want,  and  sympathizes  with  sor- 
row, and  irradiates  the  darkness  of  the  grave,  but  to  the 
hope  of  that  promise  which  was  embodied  in  Abel's  sac- 
rifice ?  Christianity  were  wanting  in  its  first  and  most 
essential  evidence,  if  it  could  not  be  traced  back  even 
to  man's  fall.  No  religion  can  be  a  suitable  religion  for 
us  which  was  not  essentially  the  religion  of  the  first 
man's  family.  I  want  no  such  religion  if  I  am  not  a 
sinner  against  God  ;  and  if  I  am,  then  I  must  have  the 


THE    SONS    OF    THK    FIRST    MAN.  45 

religion  which  was  provided  for  the  first  sinner  on  earth. 
If  the  first  man  that  died  was  saved  by  faith  in  Christ, 
then  his  was  a  heaven-born  reHgion,  and  that  rehgion 
will  save  me.  If  the  first  born  son  into  the  world  was 
not  accepted  in  his  sacrifice,  because  he  rejected  the 
promise  and  presumed  on  his  own  merits,  then  there  is 
no  salvation  for  any  one  of  Adam's  race  who  rejects  the 
faith  in  Christ. 

Adam's  family,  indeed,  presents  in  miniature  a  pic- 
ture of  our  race ;  their  labors  and  sorrows,  hopes  and 
fears,  loves  and  hate,  goodness  and  wickedness,  faith 
and  unbelief.  As  they  sighed  when  the  thought  of 
Paradise  recurred  to  their  minds,  so  does  man  now  sigh 
for  a  peace  which  the  world  cannot  give.  There  is 
now  in  every  family  the  same  susceptibilities,  and  the 
same  toils  and  trials.  The  evil  now  bring  their  own 
offerings,  such  as  their  pride  suggests,  or  their  worldly 
interests  dictate  ;  the  good  now  come  before  God  in  re- 
liance, not  on  themselves,  but  on  him  whom  Abel's  sacri- 
fice prefigured  ;  the  good  still  suffer  from  the  evil,  and  the 
evil  wrong  their  neighbor,  and  make  haste  to  shed  inno- 
cent blood  ;  the  good  slill  enjoy  the  gratulations  of  con- 
science, and  the  evil  writhe  under  the  premonitory  in- 
flictions of  coming  wrath. 

Abels  still  die  ;  and  Cains  still  live  !  But  Abel's  re- 
ligion lives  !  yes  ;  and,  blessed  be  God  !  lights  many  an 
altar,  and  is  transforming  many  a  soul  into  the  re-created 
image  of  its  God  !  So,  too,  does  Cain's  religion  sur- 
vive. Reluctant  as  some  may  be  to  admit,  painful  as  it 
is  to  reflect  on  this  fact,  it  cannot  be  denied.  Cain's 
unbelief,  Cain's  selfishness,  Cain's  diabohcal    malevo- 


46  THE    SONS    OF    THE    FIRST    MAN. 

lence,  still  live  !  ever  causing  lamentation  and  woe  — 
scattering  "  firebrands,  arrows,  and  death  !" 

They  who  are  absorbed  in  their  own  schemes,  and 
respect  not  the  rights  and  interests  of  others  ;  they  who 
serve  God  in  a  way  that  he  has  not  appointed,  or  reject 
the  sacrifice  which  he  has  provided  for  lost  sinners  ; 
they  who  envy  and  hate  the  righteous,  and  violate  any 
of  Heaven's  statutes  to  gratify  unhallowed  passions  and 
compass  selfish  ends; — are,  at  heart,  even  as  Cain  was, 
though,  in  the  infatuation  of  their  self-love,  they  are 
blinded  to  their  real  moral  character. 

In  fact,  there  is  but  one  scriptural  division  of  the 
human  family — the  Cains  and  the  Abels  ;  the  wicked 
and  the  righteous;  the  rejectors  and  the  followers  of 
the  Lamb !  This  division  is  most  serious.  It  de- 
notes a  radical  difference  in  men,  though  they  are  all 
"by  nature  children  of  wrath"  —  a  difference  in  the 
character  of  their  affections,  in  the  nature  of  their 
faith,  and  in  the  foundation  of  their  hopes  —  a  difference 
which  will  fit  them  for  totally  different  conditions  and 
employments  in  the  world  to  come  ;  and  which,  as  in 
the  case  of  the  brothers,  betokens  a  final  separation  — 
wide  as  the  gulf  between  heaven  and  hell  ! 

Men  may  deny  this  division  ;  but  they  cannot  obstruct 
this  approaching  separation.  Sin  lies  at  the  door  of 
every  man  who  has  not  done  what  he  ought  to  have  done 
—  ready  to  come  upon  him,  and  overpower  him,  and 
hand  him  over  to  the  judgment ! 


THE    patriarch's    DEATH-BED.  47 


THE  PATRIARCH'S  DEATH-BED. 

Having  heard  that  Jacob  was  sick  unto  death 
Joseph,  taking  with  him  his  two  sons,  hastens  to  his 
father's  bed-side.  Years  of  absence,  with  all  the  cor- 
rupting influences  of  prosperity,  had  not  impaired  the 
filial  regard  of  the  one,  nor  had  the  paralyzing  weight 
of  years  deadened  in  the  bosom  of  the  other  his  pater- 
nal affections.  '  Let  him  live,'  is  the  language  of  Jo- 
seph's heart ;  '  O  God  of  my  fathers  !  let  him  live  until 
I  can  reach  him.  Let  me  and  mine  receive  his  parting 
benediction.  If  his  days  be  numbered,  let  me  at  least 
have  the  melancholy  satisfaction  of  closing  his  eyes  in 
death  !' 

He  arrives  in  time,  and  meets  with  a  cordial  recep- 
tion from  his  sick  and  dying  parent.  And  "  Who-are 
these?"  inquired  the  old  man.  "  They  are  my  sons," 
answered  Joseph,  "  whom  God  hath  given  me  in  this 
place." — "And  Israel  said,  Bring  them,  I  pray  thee, 
unto  me,  and  I  will  bless  them  :"  God's  goodness  has 
not  only  prevented  my  fears,  but  exceeded  my  hopes. 
He  has  been  indeed  gracious  to  me  :  "  Joseph,  I  had 
not  thought  to  see  thy  face ;  and,  lo,  God  hath  showed 
me  also  thy  seed." — "And  he  blessed  Joseph,  and 
said,  God,  before  whom  my  fathers  Abraham  and  Isaac 


48  THE  patriarch's  death-bed. 

did  walk  ;  the  God  which  fed  me  all  my  life  long  unto 
this  day,  the  Angel  which  redeemed  me  from  all  evil, 
bless  the  lads ;  and  let  my  name  be  named  on  them, 
and  the  name  of  my  fathers  Abraham  and  Isaac ;  and 
let  them  grow  into  a  multitude  in  the  midst  of  the  earth. 
And  he  blessed  them  that  day,  saying,  In  thee  shall 
Israel  bless,  saying,  God  make  thee  as  Ephraim  and  as 
Manasseh."* 

This  scene  represents  the  Patriarch  to  us  in  an  en- 
gaging light  —  his  irrepressible  emotions  of  joy  on  be- 
holding Joseph  and  his  sons,  his  tender  solicitude  for 
their  spiritual  welfare,  his  grateful  sense  of  past  mercies, 
his  serene  confidence  in  the  Divine  promises,  and  his 
tranquillity  in  view  of  his  approaching  dissolution. 

Surely,  He  whom  the  patriarch  devoutly  acknowl- 
edged as  his  God,  was  not  an  ideal,  much  less  a  mate- 
rial being.  To  his  eye  God  must  have  had  a  distinctly 
personal  and  spiritual  existence.  He  was  the  God  be- 
fore whom  his  fathers  had  walked,  and  whom  he  would 
have  his  own  children  obediently  and  reverently  follow 
—  the  God  who  had  sustained  and  guided  and  guarded 
him  all  his  life  long,  and  to  whose  providence  and  grace 
he  would  commit  their  interests  for  time  and  eternity. 

How  remarkable  that  at  so  early  a  period  of  the  world 
— long  before  the  era  of  speculative  thought — that  old 
man  should  have  had  such  a  clear  and  definite  concep- 
tion of  the  onlv  livine:  and  true  God ;  such  an  intelli- 
gent  belief  in  his  providence,  and  so  firm  and  cordial 
a  reliance  on  his  faithfulness  !  And  how  does  it  tend 
to  confirm  us  in  the  truth  of  our  own  theistical  senti- 
•  Gen.  xlviii.  16,  16,  20. 


THE    patriarch's    DEATH-BED.  49 

ments,  when  we  reflect  that  He  whom  ivc  call  God,  is 
the  same  gracious  Being  whom  all  holy  men  of  old  wor- 
shipped ;  that  He  who  fed  Jacob,  has  by  the  same  prov- 
idence ministered  to  our  wants,  and  that  the  "  Angel 
which  redeemed  Jacob  from  all  evil,"  is  the  same  angel 
of  the  covenant  who,  in  the  fulness  of  time,  came  into 
our  world  to  redeem  us  to  God  ! 

It  is  this  scene  to  which  Paul  referred  when  he  said  : 
"By  faith  Jacob,  when  he  was  a  dying,  blessed  both  the 
sons  of  Joseph ;  and  worshipped,  leaning  upon  the  top  of 
his  staff."*  Hence,  it  might  be  observed,  that  in  our 
approaches  to  God,  it  behooves  us  to  draw  nigh  unto  him 
with  reverence  and  godly  fear.  He  is  great  and  "  great- 
ly to  be  feared."  Girt  with  majesty  and  strength,  his 
lioliness  is  as  pure  as  the  inaccessible  light  he  inhabits. 
])welling  in  the  effulgence  of  his  own  uncreated  purity, 
l)efore  him  the  angels  veil  their  faces,  and  bow  in  pro- 
foundest  adoration.  Who  can  think  of  that  Being  who 
comprehends  in  himself  all  that  is  great  and  pure  and 
excellent;  who  sits  enthroned  in  all  space,  and  through 
all  eternity — at  whose  fiat  the  regions  of  immensity  were 
filled  with  suns  and  stars  and  systems  ;  on  whose  arm 
the  universe  hangs,  and  in  whose  hand  are  the  lots  of 
all  beings  —  and  not  be  well  nigh  overwhelmed  with 
feelings  of  awe  ! 

The  Patriarchs  were  characterized  by  the  reverential 
feelings  they  cherished  toward  God  ;  and  thus  Jacob, 
aged  as  he  was,  and  drawing  nigh  unto  death,  rose  upon 
his  knees  to  worship,  though  he  was  obliged  to  lean  on 
the  top  of  his  staff.  What  a  spectacle  of  godliness !  and 
*  Heb.  xi.  21. 


50  THE    patriarch's    DEATH-BED. 

what  a  reproof  to  those  who,  though  God  has  blessed 
them  with  health,  do  never  assume  the  attitude  of 
devotion  even  during  the  solemnities  of  the  sanctuary. 
How  little  reverence  is  ofttimes  visible  even  in  the  house 
of  God  !  and  wliy  is  it,  but  that  there  is  often  no  sense 
of  God's  presence,  no  feeling  of  our  sinfulness  and 
wants,  no  heart  for  devotional  duties.  Every  thing  in 
God's  service  should  be  expressive  of  godly  fear ;  and 
if  we  do  not  reverence  Him  in  the  day  of  health,  shall 
we  be  able  to  worship  him  in  the  hour  of  mortal  sickness '? 

But  the  patriarch's  death-bed  scene  gives  rise  to  re- 
flections which  require  more  particular  note. 

The  blessing  of  a  dying  Christian  parent  is  more  to 
be  coveted  than  the  legacy  of  the  richest  worldling. 
The  latter,  like  the  poisoned  arrows  bequeathed  by  Her- 
cules to  Philoctetes,  may  become  the  means  of  the  in- 
heritor's destruction.  Often  does  the  inheritance  of 
riches  which  a  godless  father  spent  his  life  in  accumu- 
lating, result  in  wretchedness  and  ruin  to  the  son.  With 
such  a  bequest,  and  from  such  a  source,  come  tempta- 
tions to  self-indulgence,  without  the  counteracting  prin- 
ciple of  personal  responsibility  to  God.  But  the  bless- 
ing of  a  dying  Christian  parent,  though  he  may  have  no 
worldly  goods  to  leave  behind  him,  "  maketh  rich,  and 
hath  no  sorrow  added." 

It  is  the  inheritance  of  a  good  name  which,  next  to 
personal  worth,  is  more  to  be  prized  than  all  "the  wealth 
of  Ormus  and  of  Ind."  Memento  of  a  parent's  virtues, 
it  will  be  dearer  to  the  heart  —  should  right  views  be 
taken  of  life  —  than  any  inherited  titles  could  have  been. 
With  the  treasured  blessing,  which  is,  as  it  were,  the 


THE    patriarch's    DEATH-BED.  51 

seal  of  a  parent's  faith  in  God,  he  need  not  envy  those 
who  pride  themselves  on  ancestral  renow^n.  He  can 
ever  say  to  himself,  though  excluded  by  his  birth  from 
the  circles  of  worldly  rank  :  '  My  father  was  a  Christian, 
which  is  "  the  highest  style  of  man."  He  did  not  walk 
with  the  great  on  earth,  but  with  the  greater  in  heaven 
—  with  the  greatest  and  best  of  beings.  He  was  not 
surrounded  in  his  dying  moments  by  the  rich  and  the 
noble  of  this  world,  but  angels  ministered  at  his  couch; 
and  he  now  stands  clad  with  undecaying  honor  before 
the  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb.' 

It  is  moreover  the  inheritance  of  wisdom.  We  may 
have  gathered  the  sayings  of  the  ancients,  or  pondered 
the  precepts  of  the  Bible  ;  but  no  words  have  such 
influence  over  the  heart  as  the  last  words  of  a  dying 
Christian  parent.  They  may  have  been  heard  before, 
but  the  circumstances  in  which  they  are  now  uttered, 
invest  them  with  fresh  interest,  and  give  to  them  spirit 
and  life. 

To  see  a  father  stretched  upon  the  bed  of  death  ;  to 
know  that  the  eye  which  had  so  long  beamed  on  us  with 
affection,  will  soon  be  closed  ;  that  he  who  had  provided 
for  our  wants,  counselled  us,  borne  with  our  wayward- 
ness and  follies,  been  our  best  friend  from  earliest  child- 
hood, must  in  a  iew  brief  hours  be  consigned  —  a  pale 
and  stiffened  corpse — to  the  dark  grave,  with  what 
emotion  do  we  watch  his  changing  looks  !  with  what 
solicitous  intentness  do  we  bend  over  him  to  catch  his 
dying  words  !  Do  his  lips  move  ?  does  he  counsel  his 
children  ?  does  he  bless  them  ?  Those  feeble  accents 
are  not  unheard,  nor  will  they  be  unheeded.     They  have 


52  THE  patriarch's  death-bed. 

sunken  deep  into  hearts  which  the  warmth  of  a  parent's 
dying  love  had  melted.  Deepening  our  natural  attach- 
ment to  the  memory  of  a  parent,  they  have  made  an  im- 
pression which  cannot  be  erased. 

Perhaps  the  youth  who  had  grieved  his  parent's  heart 
by  his  dissipation  and  vices,  is  moved  by  this  last  scene 
to  give  his  own  heart  to  God  ;  for  he  who  disregards 
the  living  parent,  may  heed  the  dying  one  :  or  perhaps, 
after  the  interval  of  natural  grief,  he  revisits  his  former 
haunts ;  but  the  night  watches  are  full  of  remorse  and 
bitterness  to  his  spirit.  The  obtruded  remembrance  of 
a  parent's  dying  words  reproach  him.  To  his  excited 
imagination,  that  face  which  death  had  shrouded,  seems 
to  be  now  looking  down  upon  him  with  a  mingled  ex- 
pression of  love  and  sorrow.  'Tis  more  than  he  can 
bear  :  '  Forgive  me,  sainted  spirit,'  he  exclaims,  '  for- 
give me,  O  my  God  !' 

Often  have  the  last  words  of  a  dying  Christian  parent 
come  over  the  mind,  to  arrest  the  thoughtless,  guide  the 
wandering,  or  cheer  the  disconsolate. 

But  the  blessing  of  a  dying  parent  is  virtually  equiv- 
alent to  the  blessing  of  Heaven.  It  was  in  the  case  of 
Jacob,  and  there  is  no  scriptural  reason  it  should  not  be 
so  now.  Prayer  is  the  medium  of  blessings,  whether  to 
us  or  ours  ;  and  if  ever  the  Christian  be  in  a  suitable 
frame  to  pray  aright,  it  is  when  he  draws  nigh  to  the 
gates  of  death.  There  is  a  serenity,  too,  in  the  closing 
scene  of  a  good  man's  life, which  tells  us  that  v/ith  him 
all  is  peace,  and  we  would  imbibe  his  spirit  —  a  some- 
thing so  allied  to  God  and  heaven,  that  the  dying  bless- 
ing has  always  been  highly  valued.    On  the  other  hand. 


THE    PATRIARCH  S    DEATH-BED.  53 

the  curse  of  a  dying  man  has,  in  every  age,  been  regard- 
ed with  pecuUar  horror, —  the  common  impression 
having  been  that  it  could  not  be  without  a  supernatural 
influence  in  shaping  one's  future  destiny.  Unenlight- 
ened people  have  shrunk  back  aghast  from  the  curse  of 
a  dying  man,  as  from  the  malediction  of  the  Great  Spirit 
himself!  But  though  there  may  be  no  foundation  in 
nature  for  this  impression,  yet  we  cannot  doubt  that  the 
blessing  of  a  righteous  man  is  instigated  by  the  Father 
of  mercies,  and  that  it  will  be  secured  by  his  covenant 
faithfulness.  The  blessing  of  Jacob  was  in  effect  the 
blessing  of  the  God  of  Jacob  ;  and  the  prayers  of  Chris- 
tian parents  have  often  been  answered  in  the  conversion 
of  their  children  ;  and  their  parting  blessings  on  their 
children  been  realized  by  them  in  the  enjoyment  of  God's 
unerring  guidance  and  eternal  favor ! 

Parents,  then,  should  so  live  that  they  may  die  as 
Jacob  died.  Next  to  the  concern  of  a  parent  for  the 
salvation  of  a  dying  child,  must  be  that  of  a  religious 
son  or  daughter  for  the  salvation  of  a  dying  parent.  To 
see  a  father  or  a  mother  living  without  the  cordial  rec- 
ognition of  God's  authority  —  still  bent  on  the  world's 
vanities,  and  thoughtless  of  eternity,  is  painful  enough, 
even  to  children  who  are  not  themselves  decidedly 
serious  ;  but  to  see  a  parent  dying  in  his  sins,  must  be 
anguish  in  the  extreme,  to  a  pious  child.  How  shall  1 
endure  the  destruction  of  my  kindred  ?  how  bear  the 
thought,  that  the  ties  which  bound  me  to  my  parent  are 
sundered  forever?  —  that,  though  we  shall  meet  in  the 
other  world,  we  may  then  meet  to  part  forever  ! 

But  when  a  parent  dies  in  the  faith,  how  different  are 


54  THE  patriarch's  death-bed. 

our  emotions  !  How  did  he  soothe  our  sorrow  and  al- 
lay our  fears !  How  is  the  pang  of  separation  allevia- 
ted by  the  thought  that  we  shall  yet  meet  around  our 
Father's  throne  in  heaven  !  Though  our  parents  may 
have  been  long  dead,  how  often  does  their  dying  hour 
steal  over  our  remembrance,  and  speak  to  us  of  their 
heavenly  home  ! 

Perhaps  our  hearts  are  never  so  full  of  soothing 
hope  —  so  fraught  with  a  tender  and  pensive  satisfac- 
tion, as  when  we  stand  by  the  grave  of  a  parent  who, 
while  dying,  commended  us  to  God  in  prayer !  The 
world  may  have  frowned  upon  us  —  our  mind  may  be 
heated  by  the  toils  and  conflicts  of  life ;  but  here,  a  ho- 
ly calm  comes  over  our  hearts  —  here  repose  the  ashes 
of  my  Mother^  and  her  sainted  spirit  is  looking  down 
upon  me  from  the  heights  of  glory  ! 

But  if  parents  would  die  in  peace,  they  must  put 
their  trust  in  the  God  of  Jacob.  '  How  can  I  leave  my 
children?'  is  the  natural  expression  of  a  dying  parent's 
affections.  '  Who  will  care  for  them  as  I  do  ?  guide 
them  into  the  way  they  should  go  ?  point  out  to  them 
the  dangers  of  their  path — provide  for  their  wants,  and 
sympathize  with  their  sorrows?  They  are  young  and 
inexperienced  :  what  will  be  their  character  ?  what  their 
condition  ?  And  how  have  they  entwined  themselves 
around  my  heart!  I  can  give  up  any  thing  else,  but  I 
cannot  bear  to  part  with  my  children.'  No  ;  you  can- 
not part  with  them  without  anguish  of  spirit,  unless 
you  have  given  your  supreme  affections  to  God  ;  unless 
you  are  his,  and  he  is  yours,  by  virtue  of  his  gracious 
covenant ;  and  you  can  draw  nigh  unto  Him  who  "  never 


THE    patriarch's    DEATH-BED.  55 

said  to  the  seed  of  Jacob,  Seek  ye  my  face  in  vain," 
but  promises    to  be   the    "  Father   of  the   fatherless." 
Hence,  the  dying  Christian  is  enabled  to  commit  his 
children  into  the  hands  of  his  covenant-keeping  God. 
Dear  as  they  are  to  him,  Jesus  is  dearer  still ;  faithful 
as  he  may  have  been  to  his  charge,  God  will  be  more 
faithful  to  his  promise.     Yes  ;  he  can  bear  to  part  with 
his  loved  ones ;  he  can  humbly  give  them  up,  and  all 
that  appertains  to  the  world ;  for  he  believes  in  God,  and 
knows  that  God  "  will   never  leave  them   nor  forsake 
them  ;"  that  there  is  no  love  so  pure  and  strong  as  his 
—  no  care  so  watchful  as  his  —  no  security  for  their  true 
interests  so  great  as  his  covenant  faithfulness.     "  The 
God  which  fed  me  all  my  life  long  unto  this  day,  the 
Angel  which  redeemed  me  from  all  evil,  bless  the  lads." 
I  am  aware  that  such  views  are  apt  to  provoke  the 
skepticism  of  men  intent  on  the  world.     Even  Chris- 
tian professors  may  be  sometimes  detected  in  making 
*' provision   for  the  ilesh"  —  securing  worldly  friends, 
and  hoarding  their  treasures,  for  their  children.     But  I 
would  not,  for  all  that  the  world  can  promise,  or  mam- 
mon bequeath,  be  in  the  condition  of  that  parent  who, 
as  he  thinks  of  the  time  when  his  children  are  to  be  left 
by  him  in  such  a  world  as  this,  has  no  God  to  whom  he 
can  go  and  refer  their  interests ;  who,  amid  the  dark 
perplexity  of  his  thought,  can  find  no  relief,  save  in  the 
atheistic  sentiment:  '  Well,  they  must  take  their  chance!' 
Such  a  one  is  to  be  pitied  ;  but  still  more  those  children 
who,  in  consequence  of  their  parents'  godless  example, 
are  one  day  to  go  forth  amid  the  temptations  and  trials 
of  tlie  world,  with  no  guide  but  passion,  no  guard  but  self! 


56  THE  patriarch's  death-bed. 

We  have  adverted  to  the  trial  of  parting  with  one*s 
children :  it  is,  in  some  instances,  an  equal  if  not  a 
greater  trial  for  the  Christian  to  leave  the  vineyard  in 
which  he  has  been  so  long  laboring  for  God.  But  this 
same  faith  in  the  Divine  promises  enables  him,  at  last, 
calmly  and  cheerfully  to  refer  the  interests  of  Zion  to 
God's  covenant  faithfulness.  '  I  have  been  but  an  hum- 
ble instrument  in  his  hand.  He  can  raise  up  another  such. 
Whatever  especial  need  there  may  now  seem  to  be  for 
my  labors,  it  matters  not :  though  I  die,  yet  God  lives ; 
and  he  can  carry  on  his  cause  without  me  as  well  as 
with  me.'  —  "I  am  leaving  the  ship  of  the  church  in  a 
storm,"  said  the  dying  Owen,  "  but  while  the  Great 
Pilot  is  in  it,  the  loss  of  a  poor  under-rower  will  be  in- 
considerable." What  a  satisfaction  it  must  have  been 
to  Jacob  to  reflect,  that,  though  he  was  going  from  his 
children,  God  would  be  with  them,  and  bring  them 
into  the  land  of  their  fathers,  notwithstanding  all  the 
obstacles  and  enemies  that  might  oppose  their  entrance  ! 
His  was,  indeed,  a  strong  faith  ;  but  not  stronger  than 
the  promises  of  God  warranted,  or  than  every  Christian 
is  now  encouraged  and  authorized  to  cherish. 

It  is  pleasing  to  note  the  evidences  of  piety  in  youth 
— to  see  them  renouncing  the  vanities  of  earth,  and  con- 
secrating themselves  to  God  —  wrestling  for  the  mastery 
over  the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  and  aspiring  after  immortali- 
ty. But  to  the  thoughtful  mind,  aged  piety  presents  a 
more  satisfying  spectacle.  The  youth  who  to-day  seems 
so  devoted,  may  relapse  on  the  morrow  — the  early 
promise  of  usefulness  be  choked  by  the  pleasures  or  the 
cares  of  the  world — the  dawning  light  set  in  darkness! 


THE    patriarch's    DEATH-BED.  67 

There  is  much  in  his  own  heart,  and  every  thing  in  the 
world  around  him,  to  shake  the  faith  of  the  youthful 
Christian,  and  at  last  swerve  him  from  the  path  of  duty. 
But  here  is  one  who  has  adhered  to  his  principles  with- 
out compromising  their  strictness,  and  passed  unscathed 
through  the  fires  of  earth's  temptations  ;  who,  while  oth- 
ers may  have  been  deterred  by  dangers,  discouraged  by 
difficulties,  or  turned  aside  to  lying  vanities,  has  kept  on 
his  way ;  whose  eye  still  looks,  but  with  a  steadier  gaze, 
on  things  above ;  whose  soul  still  pants,  but  with  deeper 
longings,  after  union  with  God  ;  and  whose  faith  grasps, 
with  a  stronger  hand,  those  "  great  and  precious  prom- 
ises" which  are  "yea,  and  amen  in  Christ  Jesus." 

Religion,  in  such  a  case,  is  proved  to  be,  not  the  im- 
pulse of  youth,  but  the  conviction  of  age  ;  not  the  off- 
spring of  ignorance  and  fear ;  not  the  fantasy  of  an  ardent 
temperament,  nor  the  sentiment  of  a  morbid  imagination; 
but  the  firm  belief  of  hoary  wisdom.  Hence,  its  greater 
influence,  when  seen  to  be  associated  with  the  sobriety 
and  experience  of  years  ;  and  a  lifetime's  cares  and  trials, 
bear  witness  to  its  value  and  importance.  Hence,  our 
deep  respect  for  the  man  whose  long  life  has  attested 
the  rectitude  of  his  motives,  the  consistency  of  his  ac- 
tions, and  the  integrity  of  his  faith  ;  hence  it  is,  also, 
that  we  love  to  hang  on  the  lips  of  an  aged  minister  of 
the  gospel  who  has  borne  himself  worthily  during  the 
burden  and  heat  of  his  day.  What  encouragement  for 
Joseph  to  persevere  in  the  faith,  must  his  father's  death- 
bed have  afforded! — to  hear  the  old  man  then  witnes- 
sing for  God,  that  he  had  found  him  gracious ;  and  to 
see  him  still  trusting  in  the  God  of  Abraham  and  of 


68  THE  patriarch's  death-bed. 

Isaac !  There  can  be  no  stronger  recommendation  of 
reliffion  than  the  fact  that  God  was  the  God  of  our 
fathers,  and  that  they  found  both  their  duty  and  interest 
in  walking  before  him.  "  Speak  reproachfully  of  Christ," 
said  the  enemies  of  Polycarp,  as  they  led  him  to  the 
stake,  "and  we  will  release  you."  — "  Speak  reproach- 
fully of  Christ?  Eighty-six  years  have  I  served  him," 
replied  that  holy  man  of  God,  "  during  all  which  time 
he  never  did  me  an  injury  :  how,  then,  can  I  blaspheme 
him  who  is  my  King  and  my  Saviour?" 

"Wherefore  seeing  we  also  are  compassed  about 
with  so  great  a  cloud  of  witnesses,  let  us  lay  aside  every 
weight,  and  the  sin  which  doth  so  easily  beset  us,  and 
let  us  run  with  patience  the  race  that  is  set  before  us." 
They  who  have  gone  back  to  the  world  have  but 
pierced  themselves  with  many  sorrows.  Night  after 
night  do  they  reproach  themselves  for  their  backslidings, 
and  often  purpose  to  return  ;  but  ah  !  they  may  not — 
perhaps  cannot !  But  every  day's  perseverance  has 
given  to  the  steadfast  followers  of  Christ  a  renewed 
conviction  of  the  truth  and  worth  of  the  gospel.  Often 
have  they  additional  reasons  for  blessing  the  God  of 
their  salvation  ;  and  as  they  glorify  God  through  all  the 
days  of  their  life,  so  will  they  glorify  him  by  a  holy 
death. 

Jacob,  we  are  told,  was  trained  up  in  the  nurture  and 
admonition  of  "  the  fear  of  his  father  Isaac  ;"  and  now 
that  he  is  old  and  gray-headed  —  his  eye  dim,  and  his 
strength  gone  ;  now  that  he  is  lingering  on  the  borders 
of  the  eternal  world,  what  would  be  his  condition  had 
he  not  ])een  brought  to  an  early  acquaintance  with  the 


THE    patriarch's    DEATH-BED.  69 

God  of  his  fathers  ?  It  was  the  mfluence  of  early  piety, 
deepening  with  his  years,  that  shed  such  radiance  over 
the  evening  of  his  life.  It  was  the  long  and  varied  ex- 
perience of  God's  faithfulness  that  rendered  him  so  calm 
in  view  of  his  dissolution,  and  enabled  him,  with  implicit 
confidence  in  God,  to  bless  both  Joseph  and  his  sons. 

'  Now  cast  your  eye  on  the  aged,'  might  a  thoughtful 
observer  of  life  say  to  his  young  friend  ;  '  mark  those 
hoary  locks,  those  tottering  limbs,  that  faltering  speech. 
All  those  sources  of  pleasure  that  are  open  to  you,  are 
closed  to  him ;  those  incitements  to  action  that  thrill 
your  bosom,  are  powerless  to  him.  He  is  dead  to  all 
the  gratifications  you  seek,  and  all  the  objects  you  pur- 
sue. Can  you  realize,  that,  should  life  be  spared,  you 
will  become  as  that  old  man  ?' 

"Thou  must  outlive 


Thy  youth,  thy  strength,  thy  beauty  which  will  change 

To  withered,  weak,  and  gray ;  thy  senses  then 

Obtuse ;  all  taste  of  pleasure  must  forego 

To  what  thou  hast;  and  for  the  air  of  youth 

Hopeful  and  cheerful,  in  thy  blood  will  reign 

A  melancholy  damp  of  cold  and  dry 

'I'o  weigh  thy  spirits  down,  and  last  consume 

The  balm  of  life." 

*  You  cannot  realize  that  you  are  ever  to  undergo  so 
great  a  physical  change,  nor  be  readily  persuaded  that 
you  are  one  day  to  become  so  indifferent  to  the  things 
on  which  your  heart  is  now  placed  ;  much  less  be  in- 
duced to  prepare  for  that  greater  change  than  even  old 
age  effects.  But  if  you  have  any  regard  for  your  high- 
est good,  you  will  listen  to  the  counsels  of  the  heavenly 
oracle :' — 

"Remember  now  thy  Creator  in  the  days  of  thy  youth, 
M^hilf  'hp  ovil  (lavs  onmp  not.  nor  tlip  years  draw  nigh. 


60  THK    patriarch's    DEATH-BED. 

When  thou  shalt  say,  '  I  have  no  pleasure  in  them ;' 

While  the  sun,  or  the  light, 

Or  the  moon,  or  the  stars,  be  not  darkened, 

Nor  the  clouds  return  after  the  rain : 

In  the  day  when  the  keepers  of  the  house  shall  tremble. 

And  the  strong  men  shall  bow  themselves, 

And  the  grinders  cease  because  they  are  few. 

And  those  that  look  out  of  the  windows  be  darkened. 

And  the  doors  shall  be  shut  in  the  streets, 

Wjien  the  sound  of  the  grinding  is  low, 

And  he  shall  rise  up  at  the  voice  of  the  bird. 

And  all  the  daughters  of  music  shall  be  brought  low ; 

Also  when  they  shall  be  afraid  of  that  which  is  high,  ^^ 

And  fears  shall  be  in  the  way. 

And  the  almond-tree  shall  flourish. 

And  the  grasshopper  shall  be  a  burden. 

And  desire  shall  fail ;  because  man  goeth  to  his  long  home, 

And  the  mourners  go  about  the  streets : 

Or  ever  the  silver  cord  be  loosed, 

Or  the  golden  bowl  be  broken. 

Or  the  pitcher  be  broken  at  the  fountain. 

Or  the  wheel  broken  at  the  cistern. 

Then  shall  the  dust  return  to  the  earth  as  it  was. 

And  the  spirit  shall  return  to  God  who  gave  it." 

What  a  change  miist  that  be !  How  important  to 
avail  one's  self  of  the  lights,  and  succors,  and  consola- 
tions of  the  Word  of  God  —  so  that,  as  we  advance  on 
our  pilgrimage,  "  his  statutes  may  be  our  songs  ;"  and 
that,  when  we  })ut  off  this  earthly  tabernacle,  we  may 
"  rejoice  in  the  hope  of  the  glory  of  God,"  and  leave 
behind  us  the  memory  of  the  righteous ! 

Profane  history  records  not  unfrequent  instances  of 
kings  and  heroes  calling  their  sons  and  servants  around 
them,  and  delivering  to  them  their  last  charge  ;  but  we 
must  go  to  the  sacred  oracles  to  hear  of  men  who  died 
worshipping  God  and  blessing  others.  Who  expects 
that  an  unbeliever  will  die  as  Jacob  died  ?  Was  it  ever 
told  of  a  dying  infidel,  that  he  called  his  children  around 
him  that  witli  his  last  breath  be  miffht  bless  them  in  the 


THE    patriarch's    DEATH-BED.  61 

name  of  God  ?  I  have  never  heard  of  but  one  of  this 
class  who  showed  any  concern  for  the  religious  welfare 
of  his  child.  When  the  daughter  of  a  believing  mother 
was  told  that  her  father  (who  had  been  an  infidel,  and 
opposed  to  her  studying  the  Bible)  could  not  recover 
from  his  sickness,  she  threw  her  arms  around  him  and 
solicitously  asked  —  "When  you  are  gone,  shall  I  hold 
to  your  views,  or  follow  my  mother's  creed?"  His 
breast  heaved  —  the  tear  started  —  and  with  a  quivering 
lip,  though  with  convulsive  energy,  he  exclaimed,  ^^  Not 
mine,  7iof  mine — your  mother's!'''' 

But  such  an  instance  tends  only  to  confirm  our  posi- 
tion. How  is  it  possible  that  an  infidel  should  die  with 
praises  and  blessings  on  his  lips?  In  whom  does  he 
believe  ?  on  whose  promises  does  he  rely  ?  to  whom 
does  he  pray,  if  he  presumes  to  pray  at  all?  When 
doubts  are  gathering  round  him  like  portentous  clouds ; 
and  Conscience  is  awaking  in  her  supremacy ;  and  the 
tremendous  suspicion  steals  over  his  soul  that,  after  all, 
Christianity  is  true ;  when  the  dread  thought  comes 
home  to  him  that  the  next  instant  he  may  stand  before 
the  bar  of  an  offended  God  —  a  naked,  guilty,  helpless 
spirit !  must  he  not  be  too  much  absorbed  in  his  own 
condition  to  think  of  others  ?  Cursed  himself — feeling 
that  he  is  lost — already  damned!  must  he  not  be  in 
any  other  frame  of  mind  than  fit  to  praise  and  bless  ? 

Perhaps  unbelief  has  hardened  his  heart ;  or,  it  may 
be,  the  indomitable  pride  of  opinion  —  the  stubborn  re- 
luctance of  depraved  nature  to  renounce  what  we  have 
lauded,  and  espouse  what  we  have  despised  —  seals  his 
lips  in  desperate  silence.     But  if  his  misgivings  be  too 

G 


62  THE  patriarch's  death-bed. 

poignant  to  be  concealed,  and  he  must  give  utterance  to 
his  resistless  convections  of  right  and  wrong,  of  truth 
and  falsehood,  which,  like  lightning  through  the  mid- 
night sky,  have  flashed  over  his  dark  soul,  how  does  he 
express  himself  but  in  the  bitterness  of  his  remorse,  or  in 
the  groans  of  his  despair !  How  does  he  curse  himself 
for  the  sentiments  he  had  taught,  for  the  example  he 
had  set  to  his  household,  and  curse  those,  too,  who  se- 
duced him  from  the  faith,  and  entrapped  him  in  the 
snares  of  the  pit!     Perhaps  —  he  curses  God,  and  dies! 

This  is  no  picture  of  our  imagination  :  I  might  refer 
to  the  recorded  curses  and  blasphemies  which  have  es- 
caped the  lips  of  dying  infidels,  —  could  we  not  readily 
conceive  that  such  must  be  the  feelings  of  a  man  who, 
when  hanging  over  the  grave,  awakes  to  the  conviction 
that  he  had  believed  a  lie — lived  only  to  work  out  his 
own  damnation  ! 

Not  so  may  a  Christian  die.  Convinced,  by  his  life- 
long experience,  of  the  Divine  goodness,  and  having  the 
most  implicit  confidence  in  the  mercy  of  God  through 
Jesus  Christ,  no  dark  thoughts  can  brood  over  his  mind 
—  no  malign  feelings  rise  in  his  heart.  Full  of  praise 
and  gratitude,  he  would  be  the  medium  of  diffusing  that 
peace  which  he  himself  enjoys.  Blest  himself,  his  prayer 
is  that  God  would  bless  others.  Knowing  now,  from 
his  own  consciousness,  that 

"  Jesus  can  make  a  dying  bed 
Feel  soft  as  downy  pillows  are," 

how  solicitous  is  he  that  all  should  embrace  the  Saviour 
A^hom  he  has  found !     Knowing,  too,  how  closely  the 


THE    patriarch's    DEATH-BED.  G3 

ties  of  nature  bind  us  to  him,  he  would  even  jprepare 
our  minds  for  his  own  approaching  end. 

Tell  me  not  of  the  free  thoughts  and  blithesome  emo- 
tions of  infidelity  —  who  but  the  dying  Christian  can  say 
any  thing  to  strengthen  the  hearts  and  wipe  away  the 
tears  from  the  flowing  eyes  of  surviving  relatives  ?  From 
the  nature  of  his  creed,  we  expect  that  he  will  bless  us 
with  his  parting  breath,  and  beckon  us  on  to  the  heaven 
whither  he  is  going :  and  hence,  when  we  know  that  a 
Christian  is  called  to  die,  our  only  apprehension  is,  lest 
some  turn  in  his  disease,  before  death  ensue,  preclude 
the  expression  of  his  views  and  feelings. 

What  an  argument,  this,  for  Christianity !  Let  infi- 
delity rest  in  its  objections  :  that  is  the  religion  for  me 
which  will  best  sustain  me,  when  my  head  is  bowed  on 
the  bed  of  death — fill  my  heart  with  praise  and  my  lips 
with  blessings,  when  family  and  friends  come  around 
my  couch  to  receive  my  last  adieu ! 

What  Christians  most  need  is,  not  more  evidence  of 
the  truth  of  Christianity,  but  more  of  its  benign  and 
heavenly  spirit.  God  grant,  that,  when  we  come  to  die, 
we  may  be  enabled  to  say,  not  that  v/e  believe,  but,  "/ 
hioiv  whom  I  have  believed,  and  am  persuaded  that  he 
is  able  to  keep  that  which  I  have  committed  unto  him 
against  the  last  day  ;"  and  that  "  there  is  laid  up  for  me 
a  crown  of  righteousness,  which  the  Lord,  the  righteous 
judge,  shall  give  me  at  that  day ;  and  not  to  me  only, 
but  unto  all  them  also  that  love  his  appearing." 

"  I  die,"  said  the  Patriarch,  "  but  God  shall  be  with 
you,  and  bring  you  into  the  land  of  promise."  His 
presence  will  more  than  make  amends  for  my  absence. 


64  THE  patriarch's  death-bed. 

He  will  be  with  you  through  life,  in  the  hour  of  death, 
and  bring  you  at  last  to  the  heavenly  Canaan,  whither  I 
am  going.  So  it  was  :  long  since  did  Joseph  sit  down 
with  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  in  heavenly  places  in 
Christ  Jesus.  And  thus  will  it  be  with  the  descend- 
ants of  pious  parents  if  they  follow  in  the  steps  of  their 
fathers,  and  "  hold  fast  the  beginning  of  their  confidence 
steadfast  unto  the  end."  Ere  long  we  shall  be  reunited 
to  them  in  another  and  better  world. 

How  great,  then,  must  be  the  iwtver  of  faith,  which 
can  so  impart  sobriety  to  youth  and  cheerfulness  to  age 
—  vigor  to  moral  principle  and  perseverance  in  Chris- 
tian duty — guidance  to  the  living  and  hope  to  the 
dying ;  which  can  so  nerve  the  soul  for  its  dire  encoun- 
ter with  the  last  enemy  —  rendering  it  calm  and  stead- 
fast during  the  solemnities  of  exchanging  worlds  —  ena- 
bling it  to  part  with  earth  witliout  reluctance,  and  to  look 
forward  into  eternity  with  the  even  serenity  of  trust ; 
which,  at  the  last  gasp  of  nature,  can  inspire  it  with  sen- 
timents of  praise  toward  God  and  good-will  to  man ! 

And  did  the  old  man  die  ?  Yes  ;  "  the  fathers,  where 
are  they?  and  the  prophets,  do  they  live  forever?" 
All  these,  however,  died  m  faith  :  and  could  we  gather 
into  one  view  "  all  the  declarations  of  faith  in  God  —  all 
the  gratulations  of  conscience  —  all  tlie  admonitions  and 
benedictions  to  weeping  friends"  —  all  the  beams  of 
opening  glory  that  have  irradiated  the  countenances  of 
God's  people  as  they  have  successively  fallen  asleep  in 
Jesus  —  our  hearts  would  respond  to  the  sentiment, 
"  Let  me  die  the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  let  my  last 
end  be  like  his  !" 


THE    legislator's    FAITH.  65 


THE  LEGISLATOR'S  FAITH. 

Various  instances  of  prospective  faith  in  Christ, 
might  be  gathered  from  the  records  of  the  Patriarchal 
dispensation.  But,  as  our  object  is  to  stimulate  and  guide 
inquiry,  rather  than  by  ingenious  arguments  to  support 
a  favorite  hypothesis  ;  to  justify  present  faith  by  detect- 
ing its  elements  even  in  the  earliest  times,  rather  than 
by  multiplied  detail  and  accumulated  proofs  to  convince 
the  skeptic,  we  confine  our  observations  to  the  instances 
already  adduced  ;  though  the  faith  to  which  we  allude, 
was  not  less  conspicuous  in  the  case  of  Abraham  than 
of  Jacob,  in  Isaac,  and  Joseph,  and  Noah,  than  in 
Abel.  "  These  all  died  in  faith,  not  having  received 
the  promises,  but  having  seen  them  afar  off;  and  were 
persuaded  of  them,  and  embraced  them."  But  what 
were  those  promises  ?  what  scriptural  explanation  of 
them  can  be  given,  unless  they  were  the  promises  of  a 
future  Redeemer,  successively  given  to  the  early  patri- 
archs ?  If  so,  it  might  be  expected  that  the  faith  which 
such  promises  served  to  nurture,  would  be  handed  down, 
and  that  it  would  grow  stronger  and  more  efficient,  as 
time  rolled  on  toward  their  fulfilment  in  the  permanent 
manifestation  of  the  anthropomorphic  word.  If  the 
Patriarchal, .the  Levitical,  and  the  Christian  dispensa- 

6* 


66  THE  legislator's  faith. 

tion  are  of  God,  it  were  but  reasonable  to  suppose,  that 
they  have  some  common  relation,  and  that  their  unity 
of  design  will  be  found  in  their  relation  to  some  one  ob- 
ject.  It  is  not  unusual  to  trace  this  connection,  by  show- 
ing that  the  first  and  the  second  dispensation  looked  for- 
ward to  the  Christian,  as  to  the  consummating  dispensa- 
tion ;  for  the  victory  promised  to  the  seed  of  the  woman 
could  not  be  said  to  be  achieved,  until,  after  suffering 
his  mortal  part  to  be  bruised  by  the  serpent,  he  had  him- 
self bruised  the  serpent's  head  ;  nor  could  the  promise 
to  Abraham  be  said  to  be  fulfilled,  until  in  his  seed  all 
the  nations  of  the  earth  were  blessed  ;  nor  could  the 
gathering  of  the  Gentiles  to  an  extraordinary  personage 
take  place,  according  to  Jacob's  prediction,  until  the 
sceptre  had  departed  from  Judah  ;  while  they  who  were 
placed  under  the  tuition  of  the  law,  might  have  been  as- 
sured, from  the  very  circumstance  of  its  exclusiveness, 
that  the  Levitical  dispensation  could  not  last.  This 
connection,  too,  may  be  traced  by  means  of  those  cere- 
monies, sacrifices,  and  types,  which  seemingly  referred 
to  Him  who  should  come  to  take  away  sin  by  the  sacri- 
fice of  himself  But  any  inferences  from  what  we  con- 
ceive to  have  been  the  nature  of  the  earliest  dispensa- 
tions, may  fail  to  satisfy  the  mind.  All  arguments,  though 
logically  framed,  are  of  little  weight,  unless  example^ 
of  faith  can  be  adduced  from  the  earliest  times.  We 
want  to  see  the  practical  connection  between  the  law 
and  the  gospel :  for,  unless  faith  is  essentially  the  same, 
whether  it  be  viewed  under  the  former,  or  the  latter  dis- 
pensation ;  unless  it  wrought  then  what  it  tends  to  effect 
now, —  we  can  never  have  the  assurance  that  the  Chris- 


THE    legislator's    FAITH.  67 

tian  faith  is  not  foreign  from  the  principles  of  the  Mo- 
saic creed. 

If  one  example  of  faith  in  Christ  could  be  found  un- 
der the  Levitical  dispensation,  it  would,  to  say  the  least, 
impart  additional  significance  to  the  import  of  its  cere- 
monial institutions,  reflect  clearer  light  on  the  great  de- 
sign of  the  gospel,  and  animate  the  Christian's  hopes. 
Nor  need  we  look  in  vain  :  this  prospective  faith  shines 
forth  brightly  —  is  signalized  in  the  acts,  not  of  some 
obscure  Hebrew,  but  of  no  less  a  personage  than  the 
lawgiver  and  leader  of  the  Israelites.  Paul  expressly 
states,  that  Moses  "  esteemed  the  reproach  of  Christ 
greater  riches  than  the  treasures  in  Egypt :  for  he  had 
respect  unto  the  recompense  of  the  reward."*  Nor  is 
it  necessary  to  resort  to  any  ingenious  process  of  reason- 
ing, to  evince  the  credibility  of  this  passage  on  grounds 
independently  of  the  fact,  that  the  apostle  wrote  as  he 
"  was  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost." 

If  the  word  became  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us,  he 
who  recorded  the  several  manifestations  of  the  word  to 
Abraham  and  Jacob,  could  not  have  been  unacquainted 
with  the  great  object  of  Patriarchism.  He  who  be- 
held the  Angel  Jehovah  in  the  burning  bush,  received 
his  commission  from  this  angel,  heard  him  speak,  and 
saw  his  face ;  who  enjoyed  his  personal  guidance  in  the 
fiery  pillar,  and  was  charged  to  reverence  him,  on  the 
express  ground  that  he  bore  the  name  of  God,  could 
not  have  been  ignorant  that  the  Angel  Jehovah  is  the 
God  of  the  Hebrew  church.  This  angel  is  unequivo- 
cally pronounced  to  be  the  God  of  Abraham,  of  Isaac, 

*  Heb.  xi.  26. 


68  THE  legislator's  faith. 

and  of  Jacob,*  and  therefore,  was  not  a  mere  created 
angel.  He  was  manifested  as  the  God  of  the  Hebrew 
patriarchs,  both  visibly  and  tangibly  ;  and  therefore  was 
not  the  invisible  paternal  God  ;  for  "  no  man  hath  seen 
God  at  any  time,"  or  "  can  see  and  live."  This  Angel 
God,  under  the  first  two  dispensations,  sustained  the  office 
of  a  sensible  organ  of  communication  with  God's  cove- 
nant people,  and  therefore  must  be  the  same  being  whose 
prerogative  it  is  under  the  Christian  dispensation  to  de- 
clare the  unseen  Father.t  In  short,  the  Angel  Jehovah 
was  the  same  person  as  the  word  of  God,  and  the  word 
of  God  is  the  Messiah.  Hence,  John  states,  that  "  in 
the  beginning  was  the  word,  and  the  word  was  with  God, 
and  the  word  was  God  ;"  and  hence,  our  Lord  himself 
said  :  "Before  Abraham  was,  7«to,"  and  that  "Abra- 
ham rejoiced  to  see  his  day,  and  was  glad  ;"  while  he 
claimed  unequivocally  to  himself  the  character  of  that 
Jehovah  who  was  seen  by  Jacob  at  Bethel  ;  "  verily,  I 
say  unto  you,  hereafter  ye  shall  see  heaven  open,  and 
the  angels  of  God  ascending  and  descending  upon  the 
Son  of  man." 

The  law,  indeed,  was  a  dispensation  but  preparatory 
to  the  gospel ;  it  presupposed  the  necessity,  and  involved 
the  doctrine,  of  a  Mediator  ;  and  it  scenically  exhibited 
the  benefits  of  the  gospel  dispensation.  To  suppose, 
then,  that  Moses  could  have  had  no  knowledge  of  Christ, 
is  equivalent  to  the  assertion  that  he  had  no  comprehen- 
sion of  the  events  which  he  recorded,  of  the  law  which 
he  reduced  to  writing,  and  of  the  sacrifices  which   he 

*  Gen.  xxxii.  24-31  ;  xlviii.  15-16.— Hosea  xii.  3-5. 
t  John  i.  1 8. 


THE    legislator's    FAITH.  69 

instituted  ;  or  that  he  did  not  know  what  he  said  when 
he  announced  to  the  Israehtes  that  they  were  to  expect 
another  prophet  Uke  himself — one  who  should  also 
come  in  the  peculiar  character  of  sovereign,  as  well 
as  legislator.  More  than  all  —  it  is  to  disregard  the 
express  testimony  of  Christ  himself  to  Moses :  "  for 
he  wrote  of  me."  The  apostle's  declaration,  there- 
fore, is  not  without  ample  support.  "  By  faith  Moses, 
when  he  was  come  to  years,  refused  to  he  called  the  son 
of  Pharoah's  daughter  ;"  that  is,  actuated  hy  faith  in  the 
promised  descent  of  the  Messiah  from  Israel. 

This  act,  then,  on  the  part  of  Moses,  refers  us  to  the 
early  incidents  of  his  life,  to  the  singular  contrivance 
which  his  mother  adopted  to  shield  his  infancy  from  the 
effects  of  Pharaoh's  cruel  law  ;  to  his  discovery  amid  the 
bulrushes,  and  his  rescue  from  the  dangers  of  the  Nile, 
by  Pharaoh's  daughter  ;  her  compassion  for  the  child  ; 
her  calling  for  a  Hebrew  nurse,  who  proved  to  be  the 
child's  own  mother,  the  pains  she  took  with  his  educa- 
tion, and  final  adoption  of  him  as  her  son.  In  all  these 
circumstances  there  is  something  so  remarkable,  that  we 
are  not  surprised  to  meet  with  much  that  is  extraordinary 
in  his  history.  Why  should  he  have  been  so  miracu- 
lously preserved  ?  Why  should  the  daughter  of  an  im- 
perious king  have  taken  such  interest  in  a  child  whom 
she  knew  to  belong  to  a  hated  race  ?  Why,  at  the  im- 
minent risk  of  incurring  tlse  wrath  of  her  royal  father, 
did  she  adopt  the  child  ?  And  how  happened  it,  that  the 
child's  mother,  who  had  evaded  Pharaoh's  stern  decree, 
and  thereby  jeoparded  her  own  life,  should,  out  of  a 
multitude  of  weeping  mothers,  have  been  unwittingly 


70  THE  legislator's  faith. 

selected  as  his  nurse  ?  Such  a  variety  of  particulars, 
all  uniting  to  one  end,  are  at  variance  with  the  idea  of 
chance  ;  they  admit  of  no  satisfactory  explanation,  short 
of  the  fact,  that  God  directed  the  incidents  of  his  early 
life,  as  he  overruled  his  adoption  by  Pharaoh's  daugh- 
ter, and  his  courtly  education,  to  the  accomplishment  of 
his  own  high  purposes.  His  providence  is  as  apparent 
in  the  case  of  Moses,  as  of  Jesus  ;  and  in  fact  there  is 
so  remarkable  a  parallel  between  them,  that  the  former 
may  be  viewed  as  a  type  of  the  latter. 

We  are  not  furnished  with  a  circumstantial  account 
of  his  youth  ;  but  of  this  we  are  distinctly  informed, 
that  he  refused  to  be  called  the  son  of  Pharaoh's 
daughter.  There  was  every  temptation  to  comply 
with  her  wishes.  She  was  childless  ;  her  father  was 
without  a  son  ;  the  kingdom  of  Egypt  was  the  greatest, 
if  not  the  most  ancient.  It  was  for  him,  not  to  pay 
court  to  the  people,  nor  to  fawn  on  enthroned  pride  ; 
not  to  bathe  his  hands  in  the  blood  of  a  rival,  or  to 
bribe  conflicting  interests  ;  but  simply  to  own  the  name 
of  son  to  Pharaoh's  daughter,  and  the  kingdom  would 
become  his  on  the  demise  of  her  father.  Most  facile 
and  seemingly  trifling  condition  !  For  how  much  less 
than  a  kingdom  has  many  a  man  been  induced  to  part 
with  not  only  his  name,  but  his  principles ! 

Should  he  merely  have  owned  that  name,  with  what 
ease,  too,  might  Moses  have  carried  out  his  plans  for 
ameliorating  the  condition  of  his  kindred  ;  have  even 
abolished  idolatry  ;  and,  in  its  stead,  have  established 
the  worship  of  the  only  living  and  true  God  ! 

There  was  in  his  refusal  the  appearance  of  ingratitude 


THE    legislator's    FAITH.  71 

to  his  preserver  and  patroness  ;  a  seeming  unmindful- 
nesS;  too,  of  God's  goodness  in  having  afforded  him 
such  an  opportunity  for  advancing  his  own,  and  the  in- 
terests of  his  people.  There  was  even  an  exposure  of 
himself  to  the  royal  displeasure,  which  might  be  visited, 
not  merely  on  himself,  but  on  the  Hebrews,  already 
most  grievously  oppressed.  There  was,  indeed,  no 
alternative  for  him  but  to  accept  the  offer,  and  become 
rich,  and  honored,  and  mighty,  in  the  earth  ;  or  to  re- 
fuse, and  be  cast  out  —  an  object  of  hatred  and  persecu- 
tion !  or  rather,  to  cast  in  his  lot,  without  any  worldly 
resources,  among  an  enslaved,  oppressed,  and  degraded 
people. 

In  a  word,  here  all  temptations  united  and  conspired 
to  influence  his  choice  ;  pleasure,  riches,  honors,  and 
power — all  that  tends  to  attract,  and  charm,  and  bind 
the  natural  heart ;  still,  he  resolutely  refuses  to  be  called 
the  son  of  Pharaoh's  daughter ! 

Was  it  through  ignorance  of  the  nature  of  the  offer 
made  to  him,  that  he  refused  ?  How  could  it  have  been, 
when,  from  the  education  which  he  had  received,  and  the 
associations  which  he  had  formed,  he  must  have  under- 
stood the  advantages  of  his  position,  and  the  means 
which  he  might  secure,  whether  for  the  gratification 
of  his  passions,  the  display  of  self,  or  the  exercise  of 
ambition  ?  What  youth,  on  being  conducted  to  maturi- 
ty under  the  smile  of  such  patronage,  would  not  have 
had  his  imagination  infected  with  all  the  imposing  images 
of  regal  greatness  ? 

Nor  could  he  have  despaired  of  at  last  attaining  the 
kingdom.      Being  the  adopted    heir,  his  right  to  the 


72  THE    LEGlSLATOli's    FAITH. 

throne  could  not  have  been  disputed.  Having  been 
brought  up  in  the  court,  and  instructed  in  the  wisdom 
of  the  Egyptians,  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  he  would 
naturally  have  too  low  an  opinion  of  himself  to  aspire, 
or  too  little  confidence  in  himself  to  hope  for  success. 
Nor  is  there  any  thing  in  his  history  to  warrant  the  sup- 
position that  he  was  of  an  enthusiastic  turn  of  mind. 
If  his  instruction  in  Egyptian  lore  had  tended  to  gene- 
rate morbid  feelings  and  mystical  views,  the  circumstan- 
ces in  which  he  was  placed  were  not  favorable  to  enthu- 
siasm ;  nor  would  he  have  embraced  a  religion  which 
his  Egyptian  teachers  could  not  have  recognised. 

Could  he  then  have  acted  from  some  sudden  impulse 
of  petulancy  ?  or,  was  it  at  a  period  when  he  was  incom- 
petent to  decide  with  judgment,  that  he  refused  ?  Nei- 
ther supposition  can  be  admitted,  so  long  as  we  adhere 
to  the  record.  As  though  it  had  been  his  design  to  pre- 
clude all  skeptical  surmises,  the  apostle  states  that  this 
refusal  was  made  when  ]Moses  was  come  to  years, — that 
is,  years  of  discretion  ;  and  from  Stephen  we  learn,  that 
at  that  time  he  was  full  forty  years  old  ;  and  it  was 
at  the  same  time,  also,  that  he  enjoyed  among  the 
Egyptians  a  great  reputation  for  wisdom  and  valor. 
No  one,  therefore,  so  far  as  advantages  of  knowl- 
edge, of  experience,  and  of  standing,  are  concerned, 
could  have  been  better  fitted  for  forming  an  intelli- 
gent judgment,  and  coming  to  a  deliberate  decision. 
From  his  position  and  his  years,  he  must  have  under- 
stood what  he  was  to  forego,  and  to  what  he  was  ne- 
cessarily exposing  himself  by  a  refusal ;  still  he  refused, 
though  the  choice  lay  not  between  the  burden  and  cares 


THE    LKGISLATOR'.S    FAITH.  73 

of  a  crown,  and  the  sweets  of  affluent  and  quiet  retire- 
ment ;  but  between  honor  and  reproach,  riches  and  pov- 
erty, ease  and  suffering !  Rather  than  accept  the  splen- 
did offer,  he  chose  affliction  with  the  people  of  God. 
Now  this  is  not  natural  :  men  have  but  little  fondness 
for  the  society,  much  less  sympathy  with  the  trials 
of  God's  people.  They  shrink  from  toil,  and  contume- 
ly, and  pain.  They  may  submit  for  a  season  to  priva- 
tions, but  it  must  be  with  the  hope  of  thereby  attaining 
the  height  of  power,  or  the  means  of  luxurious  indul- 
gence. Rather  than  knowingly  expose  himself  to  a  life 
of  poverty,  and  suffering,  and  reproach,  what  worldly- 
minded  man  would  not  even  sacrifice  his  conscience  ? 
But  Moses  freely,  deliberately,  chose  just  such  a  life, 
rather  than  wear  a  crown,  and  have  the  treasures  of 
Egypt  at  his  command  ! 

It  is  not  uncommon  to  disparage  the  importance  of  a 
religious  education  ;  and  it  must  be  admitted,  that  some, 
notwithstanding  the  religious  influence  of  parental  teach- 
ings and  example,  no  sooner  reach  maturity  than  they 
yield  to  the  seductions  of  the  world.  Such  instances, 
however,  are-  comparatively  rare.  The  greater  propor- 
tion of  those  who  are  now  enabled  to  withstand  "  the 
corruption  that  is  in  the  world  through  lust,"  were 
brought  in  early  life  to  an  acquaintance  with  the  princi- 
ples of  truth  and  duty.  Early  impressions  may  be  coun- 
teracted ;  but,  in  general,  as  are  the  impressions  of  the 
youth,  such  will  be  the  convictions  of  the  man  ;  and  so 
will  he  decide  when  called  upon  to  make  his  election 
between  duty  and  self,  God  and  mammon. 

It  was  not  in  vain  that  the  mother  of  Moses,  to  whom 


74  THE  legislator's  faith. 

Pliaraoh's  daughter  had  unknowingly  committed  his 
childhood,  had  often  pointed  him  and  commended  him 
in  prayer,  to  the  God  of  her  fathers.  We  can  imagine 
with  what  fervor  she  thanked  the  God  of  Abraham,  and 
of  Isaac,  and  of  Jacob,  for  the  rescue  of  her  son ;  with 
what  alacrity  she  took  him  to  nurse  ;  with  what  tender- 
ness she  watched  over  his  infant  steps  ;  with  what  solici- 
tous intentness  of  purpose  she  told  him  the  history  of 
her  people,  and  the  story  of  their  wrongs ;  and,  as  he 
grew  in  years,  of  the  dangers  to  which  he  was  exposed, 
as  well  as  of  the  advantages  which  he  enjoyed  ;  how,  too, 
God  had  spared  him,  and  placed  him  imder  the  protec- 
tion of  a  princess,  that  he  might  one  day  subserve  the 
interests  of  his  people  —  perhaps,  effect  their  rescue! 
She  was,  indeed,  nothing  more  than  a  poor  slave  ;  but 
she  was  a  child  of  Abraham ;  and  her  faith  in  Abra- 
ham's God  was  not  shaken,  and  her  love  for  her  kin- 
dred was  only  purified,  not  lessened,  by  their  afflictions  ; 
and  that  God  should  have  saved  her  son,  and  restored 
him  to  her  arms,  only  rendered  her  the  more  prayerful- 
ly anxious  that  he  might  be  trained  up  to  declare  the 
glory  of  her  God,  if  not  achieve  the  deliverance  of  her 
people.  Nor  was  she  disappointed.  Her  God  was  his 
God;  her  people,  his  people  —  even  the  people  of 
Christ !  to  whose  ancestors,  the  holy  patriarchs,  he  had 
repeatedly  appeared,  and  proclaimed  himself  the  God  of 
their  fathers  ;  who  saw  the  afflictions  of  his  people,  and 
whose  reproach  was  the  reproach  of  himself. 

Moses  felt,  therefore,  that  he  could  not  be  the  accept- 
ed heir  of  a  kingdom  supported  by  a  people  so  per- 
tinaciously attached  to  idolatry,  without  either  abandon- 


THE    legislator's    FAITH.  75 

ing  or  dissembling  his  religion.  To  have  accepted  the 
offer  would  have  been  to  forsake  his  fathers'  God,  as 
well  as  blast  his  mother's  hopes  ;  and  such  considera- 
tions might  have  primarily  influenced  his  judgment. 
But,  then,  he  was  enabled  to  form  a  proper  estimate  of 
the  tempting  offer.  He  knew  that  the  pleasures  of  the 
Egyptian  court  could  not  be  enjoyed  without  sin  ;  that 
they  were  sinful  pleasures  —  pleasures  which  would 
soon  pass  away,  and  leave  only  remorse  and  pain  in  the 
retrospect ;  that  the  favor  of  Israel's  God  was  more  to 
him  than  the  gems  of  a  crown,  or  the  honors  of  a  scep- 
tre ;  that  no  suffering  which  might  be  laid  on  him,  no 
reproach  cast  on  him  by  a  tyrannical  king  or  an  idola- 
trous people,  was  worthy  of  a  moment's  regret,  so  long 
as,  with  the  clear  vision  of  faith,  he  could  look  forward 
to  the  recompense  of  reward.  His  was  a  noble  heart, 
knowing  no  fear  but  the  fear  of  God ;  no  ambition  but 
to  serve  God  ;  no  desire  but  for  the  glory  of  God,  and 
the  welfare  of  his  covenant  people.  It  was  by  faith 
that,  when  he  had  reached  the  maturity  of  his  mental 
powers,  he  refused  to  be  called  the  son  of  Pharaoh's 
daughter :  faith  in  the  existence,  the  government,  the 
all-sufficiency,  the  faithfulness,  the  exceeding  great  and 
precious  promises  of  Israel's  God.  In  the  light  of 
truth  and  duty,  affliction  and  reproach  with  the  people 
of  God,  in  and  for  the  expectation  of  the  Messiah,  were 
incomparably  preferable  to  the  temporary  enjoyment  of 
sin  ;  even  the  toils  and  trials  of  a  religious  life,  to  the 
riches  and  honors  of  the  world. 

His    refusal,  therefore,  bespeaks    true    greatness  of 
mind.     Most  men  pride  themselves  on  outward  distinc- 


76  THE  legislator's  faith. 

tions,  and  are  wont  to  estimate  each  other  according  to 
the  standard  of  worldly  rank.  Hence,  the  affectation  of 
aristocratic  habits  by  those  who  have  suddenly  become 
rich,  and  the  expedients  to  which  many  resort  to  secure 
their  introduction  to  high  life.  Such  minds  must  needs 
be  incapable  of  appreciating  this  act  of  Moses  ;  yet 
what  would  he  have  been,  had  he  become  a  king? 
Could  a  crown  have  conferred  dignity  on  Moses  ? 
Could  the  treasures  of  Egypt  have  rendered  him  more 
worthy  of  profound  respect?  What  was  a  successor 
of  the  Pharaohs,  compared  to  a  descendant  of  the  patri- 
archs ?  What  the  prerogatives  of  an  idolatrous  king- 
dom, compared  with  the  resources  of  a  gifted  intellect, 
and  the  sympathies  of  a  generous  heart,  and  the  aspira- 
tions of  a  spiritual  nature,  and  the  enjoyment  of  God's 
favor?  Egypt  had  no  ability  to  exalt  and  honor  hiin 
whom  God  had  endowed  and  owned  as  his  chosen  ser- 
vant !  With  powers,  and  purposes,  and  hopes,  all  in 
unison  with  the  great  end  of  his  being,  Moses  might 
have  looked  down  on  kings,  and  on  all  the  distinctions 
of  wealth  and  honor  for  which  men  contend,  as  the  toys 
of  childhood. 

It  is  time  the  world  were  disabused  of  its  false  im- 
pressions of  greatness  ;  that  things  were  viewed  in  theii 
true  light,  and  called  by  their  right  names.  Pitiable 
spectacle!  men  fawning  on  the  rich  —  flattering  the 
worldly  great ;  or  scrambling  for  glittering  dust  and 
gilded  baubles,  that  they  themselves  may  have  some 
claim  to  honor.  How  insignificant  such,  in  contiast 
with  him  who,  to  find  his  dignity,  must  lay  aside  all 
earth-born  distinctions ! 


THE    legislator's    FAITH.  77 

"  Himself  too  much  he  prizes  to  be  proud, 
And    nothing    thinks   so   great  in  man,   as  man." 

The  philosopher  who  refused  to  burn  incense  to  the 
self-styled  son  of  Jupiter  Aramon,  proved  himself  a 
greater  man  than  Alexander  himself.  So  Moses,  in  re- 
fusing the  proffer  of  a  crown,  evinced  his  superiority  to 
all  vulgar  ideas  of  greatness.  That  son  of  a  bondwoman 
could  not  have  felt  himself  honored  by  being  called  the 
son  of  Pharaoh's  daughter ! 

Kings  may  be  looked  up  to  by  the  many,  with  blended 
sentiments  of  admiration  and  envy;  but  the  jewelled 
crown  must  be  renounced,  before  man  can  effect  any 
thing  truly  great.  Moses  had  never  conducted  God's 
people  to  the  promised  land,  much  less  left  behind  him, 
for  the  guidance  of  all  coming  ages,  his  imperishable 
records  of  God's  works  and  ways,  had  he  not  refused 
to  be  called  the  son  of  Pharaoh's  daughter.  Nor  is  it 
less  necessary  now,  that  he  who  would  live  and  labor 
for  useful  ends,  should  renounce  the  world's  high  places 
of  honor  and  distinction.  What  had  either  a  Vander- 
kemp  or  a  Martyn  effected  in  the  cause  of  ruined  hu- 
manity, had  they  not  refused  all  proffered  honors,  and 
laid  their  account  with  toil,  privation,  and  suffering  ? 
All  that  the  gospel  ministry  itself  proposes,  can  be  ac- 
complished but  at  the  expense  of  personal  sacrifices. 
"  The  reproach  of  Christ"  must  be  esteemed,  rather  than 
flie  treasures  of  the  world  ;  "  affliction  with  the  people 
of  God"  chosen,  rather  than  the  honors  of  ambition, 
or  the  enjoyments  of  indolent  ease.  Voluntary  humil- 
ity is  indispensable  alike  to  personal  greatness,  and  to 
great  achievements, 

7* 


78  THE  legislator's  faith. 

Unless  there  had  been  just  and  sufficient  grounds 
for  his  belief  in  Israel's  God,  Moses  could  not  have 
refused  such  an  offer.  Had  he  not  seen  Him  who  is 
the  invisible  Witness  and  Judge  of  human  actions,  it 
would  not  have  entered  into  his  heart  to  refuse.  Amid 
the  tens  of  thousands  by  whom  he  was  surrounded,  in 
all  probability  not  one  would  have  refused  the  offer. 
Perhaps,  to  all  around  him,  from  the  favor  he  received, 
and  the  glittering  prize  which  awaited  his  grasp,  INIoses 
was  an  object  of  envy.  That  he  refused,  must  have 
been  to  all  the  courtiers  a  matter  of  profound  astonish- 
ment—  something  they  could  not  understand,  and  which 
was  not  to  be  explained  on  the  ordinary  principles  of 
human  action.  His  faith,  therefore,  must  have  been  the 
full  assurance  or  personal  conviction  of  the  reality  of 
things  not  seen  ;  his  religion  had  a  practical  reality  ;  it 
was  a  thing  of  life  and  word  and  deed  ;  and  if  Moses 
thus  denied  himself,  so  may  any  other  man  —  so  will  he 
deny  himself  who,  amid  the  temptations  of  a  world  that 
lieth  in  wickedness,  has  respect  unto  the  recompense 
of  reward. 

But  why  did  he  not  yield  to  the  wishes  of  his  royal 
benefactress  ?  Was  he  not  under  great  obligations  to 
her  ;  and  by  conciliating  her  favor,  might  he  not  have 
been  able  to  redress  the  wrongs  of  his  people  ;  or,  at 
least,  to  procure  for  them  certain  immunities  ?  Has 
not  the  providence  of  God  secured  to  him  favor  in  the 
sight  of  the  royal  household  ?  Is  it  not  most  remarkable 
that  he  —  an  outcast  child  —  should  have  been  so  protect- 
ed, and  educated,  and  fitted  for  a  kingly  station  ?  and  is 
there  not  in  all  this  some  intimation    of  high  Heaven's 


THE    legislator's    FAITH.  79 

designs  ?  Will  he  not  ultimately  have  it  in  his  power  to 
liberate  his  brethren  after  the  flesh  —  perhaps  to  abolish 
the  worship  of  demon  gods,  to  enthrone  the  true  God 
—  his  own,  his  fathers'  God  —  in  the  hearts  of  the  peo- 
ple ?  He  cannot  refuse,  when  he  has  only  to  accept  the 
offer,  to  enjoy  so  great  an  opportunity,  and  command 
such  ample  means  for  doing  good.  Thus  reasons,  thus 
concludes,  Exjiedienaj  !  But  Duty  told  him  that  he 
could  not  consent  to  be  called  the  son  of  Pharaoh's 
daughter,  without  undervaluing  and  disparaging  the  true 
honor  of  being  a  son  of  Abraham,  the  father  of  the  faith- 
ful ;  could  not  be  called  the  son  of  an  unbelieving,  idol- 
atrous woman,  without  renouncing  his  religion,  or  be 
true  to  Pharaoh  without  being  false  to  God ;  that  no 
prospect  of  happiness  or  of  usefulness  could  justify  him 
in  doing  what  is  wrong  in  itself;  that  it  was  better  for 
him  to  suffer  than  to  sin,  to  deny  himself  for  the  sake 
of  Christ,  than  to  exalt  himself  for  the  sake  of  man  ;  that 
God  would  take  care  of  his  own  —  accomplish  his  sov- 
ereign purposes  in  his  own  way  and  time  ;  that  he  him 
self  was  responsible,  not  for  results,  but  only  for  the  dis- 
charge of  known  duty. 

Such  is  the  difference  between  the  religious  man,  and 
the  advocate  for  expediency,  in  the  premises  from  which 
they  respectively  reason,  and  in  the  consequences  to 
which  their  respective  courses  tend :  the  one  having  an 
eye  single  to  the  glory  of  God  ;  the  other  making  men- 
tion of  God  only  to  cover  his  own  selfish  designs.  It 
is  a  wide  and  important  difference  :  yet  often  overlooked, 
especially  where  interest  urgently  clashes  with  the  dic- 
tates of  conscience  ;  and   thus  it   happens   that  men  so 


80  THE    legislator's    FAITH. 

often  "  do  evil  that  good  may  come,"  sometimes  con- 
forming to  the  world,  under  the  plea  that  it  is  necessary 
to  their  usefulness ;  then,  for  the  sake  of  worldly  gain, 
taking  a  step  which  will  separate  them  from  the  people 
of  God,  and  from  tlie  ordinances  of  religion  ;  or  again, 
violating  truth  and  duty  for  the  sake  of  securing  or  of 
retaining  some  lucrative  post.  Be  it  considered,  how- 
ever, that  duty  ordinarily  involves  self-denial ;  while  ex- 
pediency flatters  self  at  the  expense  of  conscience.  Duty 
is  founded  in  faith  ;  expediency  cloaks  unbelief. 

Moses's  choice  would  have  been  folly  in  the  extreme, 
had  there  been  no  recompense  to  which  he  could  look 
forward  with  humble  confidence.  If  there  be  no  well- 
founded  expectation  of  happiness  in  reserve  for  suffer- 
ing virtue,  and  the  grave  were  to  entomb  our  virtuous 
hopes,  with  all  the  aspirations  of  this  conscious,  intellec- 
tual being,  the  epicure's  maxim  might  well  be  our  only 
principle  of  action.  He  would  be  the  wisest  man  who 
seized  every  opportunity,  and  scrupled  at  no  means,  of 
gratifying  the  darling  passions  of  our  earth-born  nature. 
But  if  we  have  been  constituted  the  proper  subjects  of 
a  moral  government,  and  either  eternal  happiness  or 
eternal  misery  awaits  us,  according  as  we  now  either 
obey  or  disobey  God,  then  nothing  here  is  too  good  to 
part  with,  nor  too  grievous  to  be  borne,  for  the  sake  of 
Heaven's  high  reward  ;  and  he  alone  is  the  wise  man 
who  is  willing  to  forego  all  worldly  profits  and  pleasures, 
rather  than  forego  a  good  conscience  —  to  submit  to  any 
present  ills  rather  than  jeopard  his  eternal  all.  What 
are  the  gains  of  the  world  that  they  should  ever  tempt 
us  even   to  neglect  our  spiritual   interests  ?     Are  they 


THE    legislator's    FAITH.  81 

not  attended  with  toil  and  trouble,  and  liable  at  any  mo- 
ment to  be  wrested  from  our  grasp  ?  And  the  pleas- 
ures of  sin,  are  they  not  at  best  but  mixed  and  imper- 
fect pleasures,  seldom  to  be  enjoyed  with  a  quiet  mind  ? 
and,  when  attended  with  no  drawbacks,  and  no  evil  fore- 
bodings, are  they  not  of  brief  and  uncertain  duration  ? 
Then  Moses,  in  choosing  as  he  did,  showed  his  wisdom, 
as  well  as  proved  his  faith.  But,  at  the  present  day, 
how  many  think  more  of  gaining  the  world  than  of  pre- 
serving "  a  conscience  void  of  offence  !"  of  enjoying 
the  world  than  of  being  prepared  to  render  up  their  final 
account  "  v.'ith  joy  and  not  with  grief!"  —  thus  living 
as  if  the  world  were  every  thing,  and  religion  nothing  ! 
And  can  no  note  of  warning  break  up  this  ruinous  infat- 
uation ?  Let  no  one  tell  me  of  the  pressure  of  his  sec- 
ular engagements  ;  how  it  is  necessary  for  him  to  do 
this,  or  to  gain  that,  on  account  of  his  comfortable  sup- 
port, or  even  his  usefulness.  Nothing  can  justify  any 
violation  of  conscience  or  trifling  with  duty  ;  much  less 
the  compromising  of  our  religious  principles.  "  We 
cannot  serve  God  and  mammon,"  The  choice  must  be 
made  between  God  and  the  world.  No  man  can  have 
God  for  his  portion  who  does  not  "  renounce  the  world, 
the  flesh,  and  the  devil."  If  we  would  secure  a  title  to 
his  favor,  no  worldly  object  is  to  be  sought  after,  no 
worldly  good  is  to  be  enjoyed,  which  cannot  be  so  with- 
out sin.  No  matter  how  powerfully  self  and  sin  may 
plead  with  us  to  accept  this  post,  to  gain  that  treasure, 
or  to  gratify  that  other  passion  :  consider,  we  are  here 
but  for  a  few  years  ;  even  the  morrow  may  find  us  in 
the  other  world,  and   there   no  earth-born  distinctions 


82  THE  legislator's  faith. 

will  be  recognised,  no  sensual  gratifications  retained  — 
no  consciousness  there  but  of  what  we  are  in  the  sight 
of  God  —  no  difference  there  save  that  which  obtains 
"  between  him  that  served  God  and  him  that  served 
him  not." 

To  his  deep  persuasion  of  invisible  realities,  his  full 
assurance  of  reversionary  rewards  for  self-denying  vir- 
tue, we  distinctly  trace  the  refusal  and  the  choice  of 
Moses.  So  did  Paul,  and  in  a  manner  hardly  less  illus- 
trious, exemplify  the  power  of  faith  —  following  in  the 
footsteps  of  those  "  of  whom  the  world  was  not  worthy." 
Such  has  been  its  influence  over  unnumbered  minds  ; 
and  nothing  short  of  this  same  faith  can  enable  any  one 
to  withstand  the  pressing  temptations  of  indolence  or 
of  ambition,   of  avarice  or  of  sensuality. 

It  is  said  that  Moses  "  had  respect  unto  the  recom- 
pense of  the  reward,"  and  that  "  he  endured,  as  seeing 
him  who  is  invisible."  How  inexplicable  such  expres- 
sions, on  the  supposition  he  had  no  sufficient  ground  for 
his  belief  in  God  and  in  a  future  life  !  What  sacrifices 
of  self,  what  freedom  from  worldly  motives,  what  spirit- 
uality of  mind,  what  unruffled  patience,  what  steadfast 
confidence  and  animating  hope,  do  they  denote  !  What- 
ever the  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians  in  which  he  was  in- 
structed, nothing  short  of  a  revelation  from  Heaven 
could  have  so  raised  him  above  the  mind  of  the  flesh, 
and  fortified  him  against  the  promptings  of  self. 

Nor  can  there  be  less  foundation  for  the  Christian's 
confidence  than  there  was  for  Moses's  faith.  Be  it  so, 
that  he  was  supernaturally  called  of  God  ;  yet  faith  is 
now,  not  less  than  it  was  then,  "  the  evidence  of  things 


THE    legislator's    FAITH.  83 

not  seen  ;"  and  to  the  eye  of  faith  all  the  things  which 
it  embraces  have  as  real  an  existence  as  material  objects 
to  our  bodily  vision.  The  more  they  are  made  the  sub- 
jects of  reflection,  the  deeper  is  our  conviction  of  their 
reality  —  so  deep,  as  to  seem,  at  times,  the  only  realities  ; 
just  as  consciousness  maybe  made  to  evolve  a  truer  con- 
viction of  the  existence  of  spirit,  than  even  the  senses 
furnish  of  the  existence  of  matter.  Hence,  the  believer 
in  God's  word,  in  view  of  the  evidences  with  which  it 
is  accompanied,  the  nature  of  its  discoveries,  the  adapt- 
edness  of  its  provisions  to  the  wants  of  his  spiritual  be- 
ing, the  cloud  of  witnesses  to  the  truthfulness  and  pre- 
ciousness  of  its  promises  by  whom  he  is  encompassed, 
may  say,  with  as  true  and  firm  a  conviction,  as  though 
Christ  had  appeared  to  him  in  person,  T.  know  that  my 
Redeemer  live'h  ! 

Yes  ;  He  of  whom  Moses  wrote,  and  for  whom  Moses 
voluntarily  suffered  reproach  ;  He  to  whom  all  the  proph- 
ets bore  witness,  and  for  whom  the  apostles  rejoiced  that 
they  were  "  counted  wordiy  to  suffer  shame,"  is  "  the 
same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever." 

He  has  different  spheres  of  duty  and  usefulness  for 
his  followers,  and  different  ways  of  testing  their  fealty  ; 
but  to  each,  in  turn,  is  he  now  saying  :  "  Be  thou  faith- 
ful unto  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life." 
We  may  not  be  called  on  to  choose  affliction,  but  we 
are  required  to  deny  ourselves ;  and  why  do  we  ever 
hesitate,  but  that  our  faith  is  weak,  and  our  love  cold  ? 
Why  so  apt  to  compromise  with  this  vain  world  —  to 
yield  to  the  seductions  of  sin,  but  that  we  are  prone  to 
forget,  why  it  is  we  are  here,  and  whither  we  are  fast 


84  THK  legislator's  faith. 

journeying '?  Yet  a  little  while,  and  eternity,  in  all  its 
changeless  realities,  breaks  upon  our  view  !  And  is  it  so, 
that  heaven  awaits  Christ's  faithful  followers  ?  Well  may 
they  leave  all  sinful  gains  and  joys  to  those  who  will 
have  no  better  portion  beyond  the  grave.  Nay,  come 
what  may  to  flesh  and  blood,  the  Christian  will  reso- 
lutely refuse  to  do  that  which  he  knows  to  be  wrong — 
refuse  ever  to  betray  the  interests  of  religion  for  any 
worldly  end. 

Duty  rather  than  interest ;  reproach  rather  than  the 
honors  of  ambition  ;  poverty  rather  than  the  gains  of 
iniquity  ;  yes,  suffering  —  any  suffering  with  the  people 
of  God,  rather  than  the  soul-destroying  pleasures  of  sin  ! 


THE    GRAVE    OF    LUSTS.  86 


THE  GRAVE  OF  LUSTS. 

Soon  after  their  deliverance  from  the  Egyptian  yoke, 
the  children  of  Israel  began  to  murmur,  and  at  last  even 
reproached  themselves,  saying  :  "  Why  came  we  forth 
out  of  Egypt  ?  Our  soul  is  dried  away  :  there  is  noth- 
ing at  all,  beside  this  manna,  before  our  eyes  !"  "  The 
mixed  multitude  that  was  amons:  them  fell  a  lusting  :  and 
the  children  of  Israel  also  wept  again,  and  said,  Who 
shall  give  us  flesh  to  eat  ?  And  there  went  forth  a  wind 
from  the  Lord,  and  brought  quails  from  the  sea,  and  let 
them  fall  by  the  camp,  as  it  were  a  day's  journey  on  this 
side,  and  as  it  were  a  day's  journey  on  the  other  side, 
round  about  the  camp  :  and  as  it  were  two  cubits  high  up- 
on the  face  of  the  earth.  And  the  people  stood  up  all  that 
day  and  all  that  night,  and  all  the  next  day,  and  they  gath- 
ered the  quails  :  he  that  gathered  least  gathered  ten  ho- 
mers :  and  they  spread  them  all  abroad  for  themselves 
round  about  the  camp.  And  while  the  flesh  was  yet  be- 
tween their  teeth,  ere  it  was  chewed,  the  w^ath  of  the  Lord 
was  kindled  against  the  people,  and  the  Lord  smote  the 
people  with  a  very  great  plague.  And  he  called  the 
name  of  that  place  Kibroth-hattaavah  :  because  there 
they  buried  the  people  that  lusted."* 

In  view  of  such  a  scene,  our  first  impression  is,  that 

*  Num.  xi.  4-6,  31-34. 

S 


86  THE    GRAVE    OF    LUSTS. 

the  Israelites  must  have  been  extremely  ignorant  and 
degraded  ;  and  we  feel  almost  impelled  to  dismiss  it  from 
our  contemplations  with  sentiments  of  disgust.  It  seems 
to  be  nothing  more  than  an  instance  of  excess  working 
out  its  own  punishment  —  such  as  often  meets  us  in  the 
history  of  some  barbarous  horde,  or  such  as  the  glutton 
or  the  inebriate  always  brings  on  himself.  In  this  light, 
it  has  been  regarded  by  infidels  ;  and  in  any  other  rela- 
tion, it  would  be  of  little  importance  to  us.  But  as  it 
forms  a  part  of  the  sacred  narrative,  a  regular  and  con- 
sistent history,  it  is  worthy  of  note,  if  for  no  other  rea- 
son than  to  ascertain  its  credibility. 

It  is  not  improbable  ;  though  objections  have  been 
raised  to  the  narrative  on  account  of  the  immense  num- 
ber of  quails  said  to  have  fallen.  But  that  the  sacred 
writer  meant  to  express  the  number  very  indeterminate- 
ly, is  evident  from  the  qualifying  terms — "as  it  were 
a  day's  journey,"  and  "  as  it  were  round  about  the  camp," 
and  "  as  it  were  two  cubits  high ;"  while  the  word  here 
translated  '  homers,'  may  signify,  as  in  Exodus  viii.  14, 
heaps  in  general,  without  defining  the  quantity  of  each 
heap.  It  is,  moreover,  the  testimony  of  travellers,  that 
at  certain  seasons  quails  flew  in  great  numbers. 

Such  writers  as  Hasselquist  and  Diodorus,  state  that 
they  were  to  be  seen  in  immense  flocks  in  the  deserts 
of  Arabia,  near  the  shores  of  the  Dead  Sea,  and  about 
Rhinocolura;  countries  through  which  the  Israelites  jour- 
neyed :  and  hence  there  is  no  necessity  for  guarding  the 
credibility  of  the  narrative,  by  supposing  that  the  He- 
brew salvim  denotes  locusts  instead  of  quails.  If  the 
majority  of  learned   men,  such  as  .losephus  and  Philo 


THE    GRAVE    OF    LUSTS.  87 

among  the  ancients,  and  Bochart  and  Gesenius  in  mod- 
ern times,  had  not  decided  in  favor  of  the  meaning  of 
the  word  as  given  by  our  Enghsh  translators,  the  term 
which  the  psahiiist  employs  in  referring  to  this  event  in 
the  history  of  Israel  is  conclusive  :  "  He  caused  an  east 
wind  to  blow  in  the  heavens,  and  by  his  power  he  brought 
(  n  the  south  wind  ;  he  rained  flesh  also  upon  them  as 
dust,  and  feathered  fowls,  opli  Jccmcq^h, —  a  term  never 
applied  to  insects  —  "  like  the  sands  of  the  sea  ;  and  let 
fall  in  the  midst  of  their  camp  round  about  their  habi- 
tations."* 

Nor  is  it  difficult  to  explain  the  reason  for  spreading 
the  quails  "  round  about  the  camp."  This  mode  of 
preserving  certain  birds  of  passage,  according  to  Shuck- 
ford  and  Maillet,  was  usual  among  the  heathens.  The 
Egyptians  were  in  the  habit  of  drying  fish,t  as  the  Arabs 
dry  camel's  flesh,  in  the  sun  and  wind  ;  and  if  so,  the 
Israelites  probably  had  the  same  end  in  view,  in  spread- 
ing the  quails  round  the  camp  i^i  the  burning  sands. 

Nor  does  it  impair  the  credibility  of  the  narrative,  that 
the  Israelites  reproached  themselves  for  having  left 
Eg)'pt.  On  the  contrary,  this  circumstance  imparts  to 
the  whole  an  air  of  truthfidness  that  otherwise  had  been 
wanting.  While  in  Egypt,  any  condition  might  have 
seemed  preferable  to  a  state  of  vassalage  ;  Moses,  an  an- 
gel of  light,  in  comparison  with  their  cruel  taskmasters. 
But  whatever  their  sufferings  there,  all  is  forgotten,  save 
the  few  hours  of  relaxation  from  toil  they  might  have 
been  occasionally  permitted  to  enjoy,  and  the  few  ani- 
mal indulgences  shrewdly  granted  them  by  their  mas- 

*  Ps.  Ixxviii.  26-28.  f  ^'^nf.  Herodot.,  lib.  i.,  c.  200. 


88  THE    GRAVE    OP    LUSTS. 

ters,  to  render  them  more  tractable,  and  more  reconciled 
to  their  lot.  With  great  avidity  they  seized  the  first  op- 
portunity of  deliverance ;  and  they  began  their  journey 
in  all  the  ecstasy  of  recovered  freedom  :  but  ^heir  vis- 
ions have  not  been  realized.  It  is  a  longer  and  more 
difficult  journey  than  they  had  anticij)ated.  They  have 
become  weary  and  dispirited  ;  the  manna  has  lost  its 
sweetness,  and  the  promised  land  is  yet  afar.  Under 
such  circumstances  they  would  be  apt  to  go  back  in 
thought  even  to  Egypt  —  to  lose  sight  of  past  toils  through 
the  irksomeness  of  their  present  jourjiey  ;  to  be  indif- 
ferent to  all  prospective  advantages,  through  their  desire 
to  gratify  tastes  which  have  revived  in  all  the  force  of 
youthful  impressions.  Thus  it  is  that  the  sea-sick  voy- 
ager longs  for  land,  and  fondly  fancies  that  he  could 
there  be  content  with  the  simplest  cot  and  the  rudest 
fare ;  or  that  the  immigrant  often  casts  a  wistful  eye  to 
the  home  of  his  youth,  though  the  privations  of  that 
home  urged  him  away  to  seek  his  fortune  in  some  more 
favored  land.  In  short,  the  rebellious  feelings  of  the 
Israelites  may  be  traced  to  causes  not  unlike  those 
which  now  frequently  result  in  mutiny  on  shipboard,  or 
in  the  dissolution  of  a  company  of  travelling  adventu- 
rers. Nothing  is  more  common  than  for  men  to  mur- 
mur, and  to  regret  the  very  step  they  had  voluntarily 
taken,  when  they  find  themselves  deprived  of  the  com- 
forts to  which  they  have  been  accustomed  ;  perhaps, 
when  they  are  unable  to  gratify  their  appetite  for  some 
particular  diet  ! 

Nor  is  it  improbable   that  so  many  of  the  Israelites 
should  have  died  in  consequence  of  indulging  their  taste 


THE    GRAVE    OF    LUSTS.  89 

for  animal  food.  They  had  been  a  long  time  confined  to 
the  use  of  the  manna ;  and  it  is  a  fact  in  human  experience 
that  much  flesh  after  protracted  abstinence  can  seldom  be 
eaten  with  impunity.  But  it  does  not  therefore  follow, 
that  the  effects  of  their  surfeit  was  not  a  judicial  punish- 
ment. If  God  be  the  author  of  the  laws  of  the  human 
system,  the  natural  consequence  of  violating  these  laws, 
is  an  unequivocal  expression  of  his  displeasure ;  but  in 
the  case  of  the  Israelites  there  was  a  special  interposition 
of  Providence  ;  nor  does  it  militate  against  our  position, 
that  both  the  supply  and  the  judicial  infliction  were 
brought  about  in  accordance  with  the  laws  of  nature. 
An  event  may  be  not  the  less  of  God's  special  order- 
ing, because  it  can  be  explained  on  natural  principles. 
Separate  from  the  design  of  Heaven  in  working  a  mir- 
acle, but  few  events  recorded  in  the  Scriptures  can  be 
viewed  as  strictly  supernatural ;  while  others  must  be 
received  with  great  allowance  for  that  proneness  to  hy- 
perbole which  characterized  all  oriental  forms  of  speech. 
Thus  that  the  sun  and  moon  stood  still  at  the  command 
of  Joshua ;  that  the  hand  went  back  ten  degrees  on  the 
dial  of  Hezekiah  ;  or  that  the  flames  did  not  consume 
the  three  Jews  who  had  been  cast  by  an  idolatrous  mon- 
arch into  the  fiery  furnace,  were  in  the  highest  sense  of 
the  word,  miracles.  But  their  credibility — aside  from 
the  character  of  the  sacred  record  —  arises  not  merely 
from  the  fact  that  He  who  made  the  elements  may  con- 
trol them  at  his  sovereign  pleasure  ;  but  that  it  was  his 
design  to  convince  the  fire-worshippers,  that  whatever 
their  malignant  efforts  against  Israel,  even  their  own 
gods  were  subject  to  the  Lord  God  of  Israel. 

8* 


90  THE    GRAVE    OP    LUSTS. 

In  the  event  under  consideration,  the  miracle  con- 
sisted, not  in  the  immense  flocks  of  quails  which  fur- 
nished a  superabundant  supply  for  the  whole  camp  ;  but 
in  the  fact  that  they  came  up  from  the  sea  for  the  space 
of  a  month,  by  a  wind  from  the  Lord,  and  were  directed 
to  a  particular  spot,  within  a  circuit  of  about  ten  miles. 
The  Israelites  had  dared  to  rebel,  because  they  thought 
they  should  die  unless  flesh  were  given  to  them  —  thus 
adding  presumption  and  insult  to  the  basest  ingratitude. 
It  is  God's  design  to  rebuke  their  excuseless  distrust  of 
his  providence;  to  convince  them  that  he  can  destroy 
his  enemies  and  preserve  his  friends  ;  that  he  who  had 
overthrown  Pharaoh  and  his  hosts,  could  defend  and 
support  them  ;  that  he  who  had  sent  them  manna,  could, 
if  he  saw  fit,  send  them  flesh  ;  that  all  the  elements,  and 
all  creatures,  are  subject  to  his  control ;  and  in  this  re- 
spect, the  miracles  of  the  quails  is  in  keeping  with  other 
events  recorded  in  the  Scriptures.  He  who  thus  mir- 
aculously supplied  the  wants  of  the  Israelites,  is  the 
same  being  who  ordered  the  ravens  to  feed  Elijah,  and 
the  lions  not  to  hurt  Daniel ;  who  sent  a  fish  to  furnish 
Peter  with  the  tribute-money ;  and  at  whose  fiat  the 
waters  were  divided,  and  the  rock  poured  forth  water, 
and  the  clouds  dropped  manna. 

On  a  former  occasion  the  Almighty  had  most  mercifully 
supplied  them  flesh  ;  but  now,  since  the  sufficiency  se- 
cured to  them  by  God's  wonderful  providence  has  served 
to  render  them  only  the  more  dissatisfied,  and  they  crave 
quails,  thus  unnecessarily  and  unsubmissively,  quails 
they  shall  have  ;  and  in  the  consequences  of  their  sen- 
sual gratification,  as  well  as  in  the  desires  by  which  they 


THE    GRAVE    OF    LUSTS.  91 

are  actuated,  they  shall  be  made  an  example  "  to  the  in- 
tent that  others  may  not  lust  after  evil  things."  The 
miraculous  supply  of  quails,  therefore,  was  ordered  as 
a  punishment;  and  hence  the  event  embodies  a  prin- 
ciple of  God's  providential  government ;  and  it  meets 
Its  moral  illustration  whenever  and  wherever  inordinate 
desires  for  worldly  good  are  cherished. 

In  nothing  may  the  Past  be  more  strikingly  seen  in 
the  Present,  than  in  the  consequences  of  following  "the 
lust  of  the  flesh,  and  the  lust  of  the  eyes."  As  was 
the  relation  of  the  Israelites  to  the  Theocracy,  such  is 
our  relation  to  Providence.  The  desires  by  which  men 
are  now  apt  to  be  influenced  —  their  inordinate  long- 
ings, imaginary  wants,  and  unsanctified  wishes,  have 
their  parallel  in  those  divers  lusts  and  passions  which 
drowned  them  in  destruction  and  perdition  ;  and  the 
place  in  which  they  that  lusted  were  buried,  shadows 
forth  the  Kibroth-hattaavah  of  the  soul.  The  Israelites 
might  not  have  believed  that  such  punishment  awaited 
their  sensuality  ;  nor  do  men  now  reflect  on  the  evil 
consequences  of  indulging  their  hearts'  lusts ;  but  the 
laws  of  God's  moral  government  are  as  unchanging  as 
the  laws  of  his  physical  kingdom,  nor  may  any  man  vio- 
late them  with  impunity.  The  proof  of  this  may  be 
gathered  from  the  Present  as  well  as  from  the  Past. 

That  all  should  be  desirous  of  exemption  from  the 
gripe  of  necessity,  or  the  disquietudes  of  want,  might  be 
expected  ;  and  were  this  desire  controlled  by  a  consci- 
entious reference  to  the  proper  ends  of  life,  it  could  re- 
sult in  no  harm  to  our  moral  and  spiritual  being.     The 


92  THE    GRA^^E    OF    LUSTS. 

difficulty  is,  we  are  not  apt  to  be  satisfied  with  the  sup- 
ply of  our  real  wants,  any  more  than  the  Israelites  were 
with  the  manna.  We  wish  for  more,  or  for  something 
else,  either  that  the  evils  of  poverty  may  be  at  a  greater 
remove  from  us,  or  that  we  may  gratify  the  pride  and 
vanity  of  our  hearts.  Hence  originates  the  desire  for 
great  riches,  extended  power,  and  resplendent  honors. 
Whatever  is  of  value  in  the  eye  of  the  world,  and  tends  to 
exalt  ourselves,  to  secure  to  us  the  obeisance  of  others, 
and  to  multiply  around  us  the  comforts  and  luxuries  and 
adornments  of  life,  is  the  object  of  desire,  and  often  of 
immoderate  desire.  The  savage  must  have  the  white 
man's  glittering  trinkets  ;  and  the  white  man  must  equal, 
if  not  outshine,  his  neighbor.  In  every  condition  of 
society,  the  desire  to  have  what  others  have,  is,  to  a 
greater  or  less  degree,  common  to  all ;  but  in  places  of 
commercial  enterprise  and  resort  —  where  diversities  of 
trade  stimulate  competition,  and  ingenuity  is  taxed  to  de- 
vise ever-varying  forms  to  captivate  the  fancy  ;  where 
expedients  are  contrived  to  distinguish  self  from  the 
crowd,  and  the  pride  of  the  rich  and  the  interests  of 
the  poor,  unite  to  render  money  the  insignia  of  rank,  the 
exponent  of  influence,  and  the  medium  of  display, — 
covetonsncss  becomes  the  all-absorbing  passion,  infecting 
the  body  politic  ;  rendering  men  restless,  more  suscepti- 
ble to  outward  impressions,  fond  of  changes,  and,  in 
not  a  few  instances,  as  miserable  if  they  cannot  gratify 
their  fancy,  as  the  poor  Israelites, who  wept  because  they 
wanted  flesh  to  eat. 

It  requires  no  very  discriminating  analysis  of  the  hu- 
man  heart,  to  ascertain  the  nature  of  the  desires   by 


THE    GllAVE    OF    LUSTS.  93 

which  such  are  actuated.  If  we  are  the  creatures  of 
the  same  Providence,  no  one  is  of  more  importance  in 
the  scale  of  being  than  another  :  factitious  distinctions 
aside,  we  occupy  the  same  level  ;  and  our  respective 
interests  are  one  and  the  same.  Hence,  we  are  forbid- 
den to  covet  ;  and  at  the  same  time,  it  is  enjoined  upon 
us  to  love  our  neiijhbor  as  ourself.  To  desire  all  things 
therefore,  that  all  things  may  contribute  to  our  private 
ends,  amounts  to  an  assumption  of  our  own  personal 
superiority  ;  it  implies,  also,  a  virtual  infringement  of 
the  rights  of  others  ;  and  we  have  yet  to  see  the  moral 
difference  between  the  man  who  appropriates  to  his  own 
use  what  does  not  rightfully  belong  to  him,  and  the  man 
who  covets  what  he  may  never  have.  In  either  case, 
the  emotions  of  the  heart  must  be  the  same,  and  selfish- 
ness the  controlling  power.  This  renders  him  regard- 
less of  others,  except  so  far  as  they  can  be  made  to  sub- 
serve his  interests  ;  blind  to  the  proper  uses  of  the  things 
of  this  life  ;  and  insensible  to  his  indebtedness  for  what 
he  already  has,  and  to  the  great  end  of  God's  dealings 
with  him. 

The  present,  is  a  state  of  moral  discipline.  Our  Cre- 
ator would  prepare  us  for  the  employments  and  joys  of 
"  a  better  country,  even  an  heavenly."  Those  of  his 
gifts  that  are  gratefully  and  moderately  used,  he  contin- 
ues, unless  it  be  necessary  for  him  to  test  our  fidelity  ; 
those  that  are,  or  will  be  abused,  he  resumes,  unless  he 
has  seen  fit  to  leave  us  to  ourselves.  All  things  are  or- 
dered according  to  the  councils  of  his  own  will  —  wise- 
ly ordered  and  beneficently  overruled  to  the  good  of 
those  who  love  him,  and  to  the  glory  of  his  own  name. 


94  THE    GRAVE    OF    LUSTS. 

But  what  is  this  economy  of  Providence — so  radiant 
with  the  marks  of  wisdom  and  goodness  to  every  hum- 
ble mind  —  to  him  who  "  lusts  after  evil  things  ?"  His 
feelings  brand  it  with  partiality,  injustice,  and  folly.  He 
virtually  says  unto  the  Almighty,  that  He  does  not  act 
on  the  principles  of  strict  rectitude  ;  that  he  himself  has 
a  right  to  what  has  been  withheld  or  resumed  —  is  really 
more  deserving  than  others  ;  he,  ignorant  and  short- 
sighted as  he  is,  says  unto  the  Omniscient,  that  he  knows 
what  is  best ! 

If  we  only  reflect  on  the  character  and  government 
of  that  Being  who  is  disclosed  to  us  in  the  Scriptures, 
we  can  be  at  no  loss  as  to  the  light  in  which  he  is  viewed 
by  the  Divine  mind  who  is  ever  ungrateful  for  what  he 
has,  and  covetous  of  what  others  possess  ;  at  once  un- 
submissive to  God's  will,  and  imperious  in  his  own  ; 
regardless  of  God's  honor,  and  intent  solely  on  the  grat- 
ifications of  his  fleshly  lusts. 

But  whence  is  it  that  one  becomes  dissatisfied  with 
his  lot  in  life  ?  In  his  neighbor's  condition,  there  is,  to 
his  view,  entire  relief  from  all  the  inconveniences  to 
which  he  is  subject ;  and  there,  too,  are  the  advantages 
of  which  he  is  destitute.  Suffering  his  imagination  to 
lead  captive  his  judgment,  it  seems  to  him,  there  is  hap- 
piness, and  he  would  gladly  exchange  conditions.  Thus 
he  desires  riches,  not  that  he  is  in  anywise  necessitous, 
but  because  he  imagines  "  a  man's  life  to  consist  in  the 
abundance  of  the  things  which  he  possesses  ;"  and  thus 
the  costly  mansion  and  the  splendid  equipage  become 
associated  in  his  mind  with  the  appropriate  means  of 
worldly  enjoyment.      He  desires  eminence,  not  that  he 


THE    GRAVE    OF    LUSTS.  95 

is  unknown,  or  would  subserve  his  reputation  to  useful 
ends  ;  but  it  would  gratify  him  above  all  things,  he  im- 
agines, to  see  his  movements  publicly  noticed,  and  hear  his 
name  repeated  from  lip  to  lip  with  sentiments  of  praise. 
He  desires  relief  from  the  toils  and  tunnoil  of  business 
—  visions  of  rural  retirement  visit  his  slumbers  —  all 
his  efforts  are  directed  to  this  end  :  not  that  he  would 
avail  himself  of  his  leisure  to  enlighten  bis  mind,  and 
improve  his  heart,  and  benefit  society  ;  but  that  he  may 
spend  the  rest  of  his  days  in  affluent  elegance  and  lux- 
urious ease.  Such  a  man  is  "  of  the  earth,  earthly" — 
his  desires  betray  the  state  of  his  heart  ;  and  are  they 
not  wrong  and  foolish  ?  Not,  if  this  be  our  "  continu- 
ing city,"  or  death,  annihilation.  But  what  shall  we 
say,  if  this  life  can  be  proved  to  be  only  the  infancy  of 
an  immortal  existence  ;  and  if  every  soul  of  man  has 
interests  at  stake  to  which  all  worldly  interests  are  less 
{han  nothing,  and  vanity? 

Hence,  God  warns  men  to  "  abstain  from  fleshly  lusts, 
which  war  against  the  soul  ;"  and  charges  them  to 
"  set  their  affection  on  things  above."  But  if,  in  spite 
of  the  teachings  of  his  word,  and  the  warnings  of  his 
providence,  they  still  crave  earthly  things,  their  desires 
are  not  unfrequently  gratified.  And  here  it  were  easy 
to  particularize,  and  show  how  this  man,  and  the  other, 
has  at  last  obtained  the  desire  of  his  heart  and  the  de- 
light of  his  eyes  ;  but  instances  will  readily  occur  to  the 
reader,  drawn  from  his  own  observation,  and  perhaps 
his  own  experience.  God  might  not  have  been  con- 
sulted—  all  reference  to  the  Divine  pleasure  might  have 
been  intentionally  excluded  :  while  intent  on  his  darling 


96  THE    GRAVE    OF    LUSTS. 

end,  the  man  might  have  been  conscious  of  his  designed 
forgetfulness  of  God  —  his  pure,  defecated  worldhness 
of  spirit;  and  yet  God,  in  his  providence,  favored  him 
in  his  endeavors  —  as  it  were,  yielded  to  his  desire  — 
just  as  he  granted  the  request  of  his  ancient  people, 
when,  at  one  time,  they  desired  flesh  to  eat;  and  again, 
that  they  might  have  a  king  to  reign  over  them  ;  or,  as 
he  yielded  to  Balaam's  desire,  and  gave  him  permission 
to  go  to  Balak. 

Hence,  the  sentiments  with  which  God  regards  us, 
cannot  be  inferred  from  the  worldly  circumstances  in 
which  we  are  placed.  We  might  be  forward  to  con- 
clude, from  the  remarkable  success  which  attends  some 
men,  that  they  are  the  objects  of  the  Divine  approba- 
tion :  they  are  often  called  the  "  favorites  of  fortune  ;" 
but  there  is  now  one  man  in  hell  vvho,  while  upon  earth, 
was  "  clothed  in  fine  linen,  and  fared  sumptuously  every 
day."  On  the  other  hand,  we  are  prone  to  say  to  our- 
selves, '  What  sin  has  this  man  committed,  that  he 
should  be  so  destitute  and  afflicted?'  But  there  is  now 
a  man  in  heaven  who,  when  in  this  world,  "  was  laid 
at  the  rich  man's  gate,  and  ted  with  the  crumbs  that  fell 
from  the  rich  man's  table  ;  and  whose  sores  moreover  the 
dogs  came  and  licked."  So  true  is  it  that  "  God's  thoughts 
are  not  as  our  thoughts. "  "  That  which  is  highly 
esteemed  among  men,  is  abomination  in  the  sight  of 
God."  The  very  things  which  the  carnal  mind  desires, 
may  be  the  evidences  of  his  displeasure ;  while  those 
from  which  our  nature  shrinks,  may  be  the  tokens  of  his 
love.  He  may  give  in  anger,  and  refuse  from  love  to 
the  souls  of  his  children.     In  hedging  up  our  way  with 


THE    GRAVE    OF    LUSTS.  97 

thorns,  he  may  mean  to  salis^fy  r.s  with  hi.s  favor  ;  but 
by  indulging  us  in  our  earthborn  desires,  he  may  mean 
to  leave  us  to  the  sway  of  our  pride,  and  indolence,  and 
carnality.  In  so  doing,  however,  he  himself  is  in  no- 
wise implicated  in  the  sin  and  misery  of  his  creatures. 
"Let  no  man  say  when  he  is  tempted,  'I  am  tempted 
of  God  ;'  for  God  cannot  be  tempted  with  evil,  neither 
tempteth  he  any  man  :  but  every  man  is  tempted,  when 
lie  is  drawn  away  of  his  own  lust,  and  enticed.  Then, 
when  lust  hath  conceived,  it  bringeth  forth  sin  ;  and  sin, 
when  it  is  finished,  bringeth  forth  death." 

It  is  true  that  spiritual  interests  are  seldom  heeded  by 
those  who  cherish  immoderate  desires.  All  they  think 
of,  or  seem  to  care  for,  is  earth.  The  ardor  of  the  Is- 
raelites in  gathering  the  quails,  furnishes  no  unapt  image 
of  the  course  pursued  by  many  worldly  men.  As  the 
former  "  stood  up  all  that  day,  and  all  that  night,  and 
all  the  next  day,  and  gathered  the  quails,"  so  do  the 
latter  sometimes  sacrifice  ease  and  sleep  for  worldly 
ends  — 

"  A(](]  night  to  day,  and  Sunday  to  the  week." 

To  gain  their  heart's  desire,  no  opportunity  must  be 
neglected,  no  time  lost,  no  labor  spared  ;  and  all  this 
for  the  meat  that  perisheth  !  So  much  "  wiser  are  the 
chihlren  of  this  world  in  their  generation  than  the  chil- 
dren of  light." 

The  Israelites,  in  their  efforts  to  gather  the  quails, 
had  no  concern  for  God's  favor  ;  and  thus,  in  their 
worldly  aims,  men  seldom  take  into  consideration  the 
moral  bearing  of  a  successful  issue.  It  matters  not  with 
what  deprivation  of  religious  privileges  their  course  may 

') 


98  THE    GRAVE    OF    LUSTS. 

be  attended  —  it  must  be  prosecuted,  'rhough  such 
overtasking  of  their  mental  and  physical  powers  may 
disqualify  them  for  the  proper  discharge  of  their  reli- 
gious duties,  still  the  work  must  be  done ;  that  is,  the 
quails  must  be  gathered.  We  cannot  trust  God  for  the 
future  ;  we  must  get  enough,  though  we  have  now  more 
than  a  sufficiency  ! 

But  as  "the  wrath  of  the  Lord  was  kindled  against 
the  people,  even  while  the  flesh  was  yet  between  their 
teeth,"  so  do  men  often  covet  what  they  will  never  live 
to  enjoy.  "  Ere  the  flesh  was  chewed,  the  Lord  smote 
them  with  a  very  great  plague  :"  and  thus,  ere  the  estate 
is  enjoyed  which  cost  a  man  so  many  toilsome  days  and 
sleepless  nights  ;  ere  the  gold  is  coined  for  which,  in  his 
covetousness,  he  abandoned  the  sphere  of  duty  and  use- 
fulness where  (jod  had  placed  him,  and  exposed  him- 
self to  toil,  and  hardship,  and  demoralizing  influences ; 
or,  just  as  he  is  reaching  forth  to  grasp  the  prize  for 
which,  in  his  all-absorbing  desire  of  fame,  he  had  waived 
the  claims  of  Him  who  endowed  him  with  intellect  for 
nobler  ends  —  hla  soul  is  required  of  him! 

Thus,  also,  may. we  sometimes  see  those  very  objects 
for  which  men  "  lusted  exceedingly,"  wrested  from  their 
grasp  almost  as  soon  as  gained  —  the  riches  for  which 
they  longed  making  themselves  wings,  and  flying  away ; 
or  the  fame  for  which  they  panted,  rendering  them  only 
the  more  conspicuous  marks  for  obloquy,  or  uplifting 
them  with  pride  until  they  paved  the  way  for  their  own 
downfall.  Sometimes  desire  is  gratified,  but  at  the  ex- 
pense of  health,  and,  it  may  be,  with  the  loss  of  charac- 
ter ;  or  when  the  object  is  gained,  it  disappoints  expec- 


THE    GRAA'E    OF    LUSTS.  99 

tation,  and  precludes  peace  of  mind.  No  matter  what 
it  is  that  is  sought  so  eagerly  —  whether  it  respect  some 
affluent  connection  in  hfe,  the  cuhivation  of  a  particular 
talent,  the  perpetuation  of  a  name,  or  the  enjoyment  of 
a  home  —  so  surely  as  that  object  is  allied  to  self  and 
earth,  it  may  be  made  "  a  snare,  and  a  trap,  and  a  stum- 
bling-block, and  a  recompense."  Even  the  child  that 
was  longed  for,  may  die  ere  it  opens  its  eyes  on  the 
light,  or  live  long  only  to  bring  its  parents'  "  gray  hairs 
with  sorrow  to  the  grave." —  "  Who  knoweth  what  is  good 
for  man  in  this  life,  all  the  days  of  his  vain  life  which 
he  spendeth  as  a  shadow?"  As  the  most  beautiful 
plants  are  most  deleterious  in  their  properties,  so  those 
objects  in  life  which  gratify  the  eye  and  stimulate  the 
passions,  may  be  the  most  inimical  to  our  peace.  From 
some  fancied  attendant  evil  we  often  dread  what  is  good 
for  us  in  a  temporal  point  of  view ;  and  thus,  in  conse- 
quence of  some  fancied  attendant  good,  we  often  desire 
what  proves  to  be,  on  the  whole,  a  temporal  evil.  Lot 
lifted  up  his  eyes  and  beheld  all  the  plain  of  Jordan, 
and  chose  it,  because  "  it  was  well  watered  everywhere." 
It  never  occurred  to  him  whether  it  would  be  the  best 
country  for  one  who  had  a  religion  to  honor,  a  soul  to 
keep,  and  a  family  to  bring  up  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord. 
He  was  influenced  solely  by  the  beauty  and  advantages 
of  the  soil ;  he  chose  as  a  worldly-wise  man,  not  as  be- 
hooved a  servant  of  the  Most  High  ;  and  what  were  the 
consequences  but  vexations,  losses,  disgrace,  desola- 
tion, and  dismay?  The  country  of  his  choice  was 
doomed  of  Heaven ;  all  his  coveted  possessions  were 
involved  in  the  common  overthrow ;  his  wife  was  con- 


100  THE    GRAVE    OF    LUSTS. 

verted  into  a  pillar  of  salt ;  some  of  his  children  per- 
ished, and  those  that  were  rescued  might  better  for  him 
have  been  swallowed  up  with  his  guilty  sons-in-law !  * 

If,  therefore,  our  immoderate  desires  for  worldly  good 
often  result  in  temporal  evil,  much  more  may  such  de- 
sires tend  to  the  injury  of  our  spiritual  interests.  The 
nature  of  the  human  mind  will  not  admit  of  two  co- 
existent desires  of  equal  strength  and  fervor :   the  one 

*  "  The  gods,"  said  one  of  the  heathen  moralists,  "  have  overwhelmed 
in  ruin  whole  multitudes,  merely  by  indulging  them  with  every  thing 
for  which  they  asked  ;"  and  he  is  but  a  limited  observer  who  knows  not, 
in  this  respect,  the  vanity  of  human  wishes.  But,  having  been  left  to 
the  guidance  of  their  own  understandings,  the  ancient  pagans  were  led 
to  observe  narrowly  the  course  of  human  events.  Hence,  in  Plato's 
Dialogue  on  Prayer,  Socrates  is  represented  as  saying  to  his  pupil,  who 
was  going  to  his  devotions,  that  "  it  became  him  to  be  very  serious  on 
the  errand,  since  it  was  possible  for  one  to  bring  down  evils  upon  him- 
self by  his  prayers  ;  and  that  those  things  which  the  gods  sent  in  answer 
to  his  petitions,  might  turn  to  his  destruction.  This,  he  said,  may  not 
only  happen  when  a  man  prays  for  what  he  knows  is  mischievous  in  its 
own  nature  —  as  CEdipus  implored  the  gods  to  sow  dissension  between 
his  sons  —  but  when  he  prays  for  what  he  believes  would  be  for  his  good, 
and  against  what  he  believes  would  be  for  his  detriment ;  because  men 
from  ignorance,  prejudice,  or  passion,  are  so  blinded  that  they  cannot 
see  what  would  be  really  beneficial.  He  then  asks  his  pupil  if  he  would 
not  be  delighted,  should  that  god  to  whom  he  was  going  to  pray,  prom- 
ise to  make  him  the  sovereign  of  the  whole  earth ;  and  on  receiving  an 
affirmative  reply,  asks  again  of  his  pupil,  if,  after  receiving  this  great 
favor,  he  would  be  contented  to  lose  his  life  —  or  if  he  would  receive  it, 
though  he  was  sure  of  making  an  ill  use  of  it.  Socrates  then  shows 
him,  from  the  examples  of  others,  how  these  might  probably  be  the 
effects  of  such  a  blessing;  and  adds  that  other  reputed  pieces  of  good 
fortune,  which  men  ardently  desire,  and  would  not  fail  to  pray  for,  if 
they  thought  their  prayers  would  be  answered  —  such  as  having  a  son, 
or  procuring  the  highest  post  in  the  government  —  are  subject  to  the 
like  fatal  consequences."  Having  established  this  point,  that  no  nsan 
knows  what,  in  its  consequences,  would  prove  to  him  a  blessing  or  a 
curse,  he  recommends  to  him,  as  t!ie  model  of  his  devotions,  a  short 
prayer  of  a  Greek  poet:  "Give  us  those  things  which  are  good  for  us, 
whether  they  are  such  things  as  we  pray  for  or  not ;  and  remove  from 
us  those  things  which  are  hurtful,  though  they  are  such  as  we  pray 
for." 


THE    GRAVE    OF    LUSTS.  101 

must  give  place  to  the  other.  Hence,  whenever  our 
earth-born  desires  approach  an  unreasonable  height,  our 
spiritual  desires  are  correspondingly  depressed.  As  well 
atteir.jit  to  identify  God  and  mammon,  as  blend  inordi- 
nate desires  for  worldly  good  with  spiritual  aspirations. 
We  may  render  the  forms  of  religion  subservient  to 
worldly  ends  ;  but  undue  desire  for  any  worldly  object 
is  necessarily  at  variance  with  all  advancements  in  the 
Divine  life.  In  proof  of  this,  we  might  advert  to  Chris- 
tian experience  —  show  what  changes,  in  their  senti- 
ments and  actions,  have  come  over  even  good  men, 
when  they  have  been  taken  captive  by  some  worldly 
desire  ;  how  it  has  gradually  led  to  a  loss  of  their  wonted 
interest  in  the  private  duties  of  religion,  and  finally  to  a 
neglect  of  God's  word  and  ordinances  ;  how  that  wealth 
which  was  toiled  for  with  such  restless  avidity,  has,  in 
some  instances,  impaired  all  sense  of  dependence  on 
God,  and  given  rise  to  pride,  and  self-indulgence,  and 
conformity  to  the  world  —  though  before,  the  man  might 
have  been  distinguished  by  his  humility,  and  self-denial, 
and  spirituality  of  mind  ;  and  how  that  fame  which  was 
coveted,  under  the  quieting  plea  of  extending  one's  influ 
ence  for  good,  has  at  last  become  the  end  and  aim  of 
all  his  movements,  and  brought  him  down  in  his  ways 
of  life  to  a  degrading  level  with  those  whose  praise  is 
not  of  God,  but  of  men. 

Worldly  men  need  not  tell  us  how  they  feel  in  rela- 
tion to  the  subject  of  religion  :  their  actions  too  plainly 
reveal  their  sentiments.  He  whose  heart  is  set  on 
riches,  puts  forth  no  effort  to  attain  the  "  pearl  of  great 
price  :"   and,  in  like  manner,  he  who  is  intent  on  liter- 

9* 


102  THE    GKAVE    OF    LUSTS. 

ary  acquisitions,  or  on  the  praises  or  pleasures  of  the 
world,  has  no  desire  for  that  wisdom  which  cometh 
from  above,  that  honor  which  cometh  from  God  only, 
or  that  peace  which  flows  from  communion  with  God 
and  from  the  discharge  of  duty  to  man.  No  ;  that  soul, 
which  was  made  for  God  and  heaven,  has  lost  sight  of 
its  birthright,  and  is  now  stooping  to  a  degrading  thral- 
dom ! 

The  moral  consequences  of  following  the  heart's  lusts 
might  be  viewed  in  different  forms,  and  traced  through 
different  relations.  He  who  thus  sets  out  to  gratify  his 
selfish  desires,  may  become  as  regardless  of  man  as  he 
is  indifferent  to  God.  Let  him  hanker  after  any  worldly 
object,  and  if  he  cannot  obtain  it  by  fair  means,  Ahaz- 
like  he  will  ultimately  break  through  the  restraints  of 
virtue  and  religion.  Hence  those  crimes  which  invoke 
the  arm  of  civil  justice  —  those  deeds  of  darkness  which 
cause  us  to  tremble,  if  not  for  ourselves,  at  least  for  our 
children  !  Who  knows  what  a  day  may  bring  forth  for 
that  man  who  has  surrendered  himself  to  the  control  of 
fleshly  lusts?  Enter  yonder  mansion:  it  is  the  house 
of  mourning,  but  not  for  the  dead  ;  for  the  living,  worse 
than  dead  —  the  living  abandoned  to  his  vices.  Or  go 
to  yonder  prison-house :  what  means  that  piteous  spec- 
tacle ?  Wretched  man!  he  is  suffering  the  penalty  of 
those  selfish  desires  which  led  him  on  from  vice  to 
crime  ! 

Be  it  so,  that  such  evils  are  the  extreme  and  only 
occasional  results  of  lusting  after  worldly  good  ;  yet  the 
very  object  for  which  men  are  so  prone  to  "  walk  in  the 
sight  of  their  eyes,"  cannot  be  attained.     What  world- 


THE    GRAVE    OP    LUSTS.  103 

loving,  self-seeking  man  was  ever  heard  to  say,  *'Tis 
enough  !'  It  requires  but  Httle  observation  of  the  world 
to  be  able  to  trace  the  course  of  our  natural  desires. 
Yonder  is  a  man  driven  to  his  daily  task  under  the 
scorching  heat  of  a  tropical  sky :  he  knows  no  motive 
but  fear,  no  signal  but  the  lash.  Ask  him  what  he  de- 
sires ?  '  Purchase  my  freedom.'  Is  he  now,  being  a 
freeman,  happy?  He  has  forgotten  the  necessity  of  an 
estate.  Well,  is  the  rich  man  happy?  Not  until  he  is 
invested  with  dignity  and  honor.  He  is  happy  now? 
No  ;  he  must  surpass  his  neighbor,  or  stand  high  without 
a  rival.  Grant  him,  then,  the  insignia  of  sovereign  rank 
and  rule  —  he  is  not  contented.  Decorate  his  brow  with 
the  laurels  of  victory  —  still  he  is  not  contented.  Give 
him  the  crown  of  universal  empire,  and  he  will  sigh  for 
more  worlds  to  conquer.  Give  him  all  things  which 
either  his  sensuality,  or  his  avarice,  or  his  ambition, 
may  crave  ;  and  then  press  home  upon  him  the  question 
of  content.  The  morrow  will  find  him  just  as  unsatis- 
fied as  he  is  to-day ;  and  the  reason  is,  that  he  has  sur- 
rendered his  essential  being — his  soul  into  captivity  to 
his  earth-born  appetites.  "  There  is  an  evil  which  I 
have  seen  under  the  sun,  and  it  is  common  among  men ; 
a  man  to  whom  God  hath  given  riches  and  honor,  so 
that  he  wanteth  nothing  for  his  soul  of  all  that  he  desi- 
reth,  yet  God  giveth  him  not  power  to  eat  thereof." 

By  the  very  gratifications  which  he  coveted,  the  man 
has  rendered  himself  more  unhappy  than  he  would  have 
been  had  all  his  desires  been  denied  ;  for  now  he  is 
vv-aking  up  to  the  conviction  that  all  here  "  is  vanity  and 
vexation  of  spirit."     Nor  is  this  all  :  with  him  the  greater 


104  THE    GRAVE    OF    LUSTS. 

part  of  life  has  been  passed  in  the  pursuit  of  shadows ; 
and  he  cannot  but  be  aware  that  a  being  formed  for  an 
endless  futurity,  has  been  merged  in  perishing  interests  ; 
that  though  his  temporal  concerns  have  flourished,  his 
spiritual  have  been  sadly  neglected ! 

Such  is  the  occasional  experience  of  those  who  have 
lived  to  gratify  their  worldly  desires  ;  and,  though  some 
may  have  thereby  been  led  unto  serious  and  timely  re- 
flection, yet  the  soul  is  often  ruined  by  those  very  ob- 
jects for  which  it  so  importunately  wished,  and  sedu- 
lously labored.  Though  it  may  at  times  feel  the  unsat- 
isfying nature  of  all  earthly  things,  will  it  be  an  easy 
matter  to  let  go  its  hold  on  objects  to  which  it  has 
become  so  wedded  by  desire  and  effort  ?  Is  it  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  laws  of  our  mental  and  moral  being, 
that  he  wiio  has  all  his  life  long  been  controlled  by  the 
perceptions  of  sense,  should  be  led  to  elevate  his  affec- 
tions to  things  which  can  be  apprehended  only  by  faith? 
Is  it  to  be  expected  that  he  who  has  lived  with  his  treas- 
ures and  honors  all  on  earth,  should  die  at  last  with  his 
heart  in  heaven  ? 

There  may  be  hope  in  tlie  last  hour  for  many  a 
thoughtless  sinner ;  nor  would  I  presume  to  question 
the  efficiency  of  God's  grace ;  but  it  is  Gnd  who  has 
been  dealing  with  this  wretched  creature.  God  "  grant- 
ed his  requests,"  and  God  "  has  sent  leanness  into  his 
soul :"  it  is  the  leanness  of  spiritual  death  ;  and  if  any 
thing,  short  of  the  terrors  of  the  last  day,  can  rouse  him 
from  this  spiritual  stupor,  why  is  he  so  deaf  to  the  voice 
of  his  own  conscience  —  to  the  reiterated  calls  of  God's 
word,  and  even  to  the  daily  monitions  of  God's  provi- 


THE    GRAVE    OF    LUSTS.  105 

dence  ?  How  happens  it,  that  he  should  think  less  of 
heaven  than  of  the  most  insignificant  of  his  worldly 
interests  ;  and  that  he  actually  dreads  any  worldly  disas- 
ter more  than  eternal  damnation  ?  How  is  it  to  be 
accounted  for,  when  he  knows  that  he  cannot  live  here 
alway,  and  at  times  feels  that  he  has  no  security  for  his 
life,  that  he  should  be  just  as  intent  on  worldly  gains 
and  gratifications  as  if  there  were  no  God  ! 

Men  may  go  on  in  the  ways  of  their  hearts,  and  be 
only  the  less  apprehensive  of  future  ills,  when  their  un- 
reasonable and  unsubmissive  requests  for  worldly  good 
are  granted.  But  "  coming  events  cast  their  shadows 
before,"  in  those  temporal  evils  so  often  consequent  on 
the  gratification  of  worldly  desires.  How  solemn  the 
thought,  that  all  our  present  desires  and  affections  go 
toward  making  up  the  sum  of  our  future  happiness  or 
our  future  woe! — and  often,  methinks,  will  the  lost 
soul,  as  it  sinks  lower  and  lower  into  the  abyss  of  end- 
less woe,  cnrse  the  riches  and  honors  of  a  bygone  pro- 
bation ! 

Men  need  no  persuasives  to  induce  them  to  guard 
their  persons,  their  honors,  or  their  property  ;  but  of 
how  much  more  importance  to  their  true  interests  that 
they  should  maintain  a  strict  and  constant  watch  over 
their  desires  !  Even  they  who  profess  to  believe  in  that 
gospel  which  has  illumined  life  and  immortality,  are  not 
the  less  prone  to  be  influenced  more  by  "  the  things  that 
are  seen"  than  by  "  the  things  that  are  not  seen  ;"  by  the 
hope  of  present  advantages  than  by  the  certainty  of  fu- 
ture good.  To  ward  off  the  dangers  to  which  we  are 
daily  exposed,  let  us  reflect  that  the  various  objects  of 


106  THE    GRAVE    OF    LUSTS. 

earthly  desire  often  dazzle  but  to  blind,  excite  but  to 
disappoint,  and  allure  but  to  destroy ;  that  what  seems 
so  fair  and  beauteous,  may  conceal  a  viper's  sting,  and 
what  seems  most  conducive  to  our  happiness,  may  be 
stored  with  misery.  Let  us  be  sensible  of  our  ignorance 
and  short-sightedness,  our  liability  to  be  governed  more 
by  passion  than  by  reason,  by  vanity  than  by  judgment,  by 
a  regard  for  immediate  though  transient  advantages  than 
by  ultimate  and  permanent  benefits.  He  who  is  wise 
will  not  concern  himself  "  what  this  man  is  famed  for, 
or  for  what  the  other  is  preferred  ;"  what  this  one  has, 
or  how  that  other  succeeded.  Let  this  man  have  the 
honor,  and  that  the  riches  ;  if  we  would  avoid  those 
passions  and  inquietudes  to  which  so  many  are  subject, 
let  us  learn  rather  to  contract  our  wishes,  than  to  enlarge 
our  means.  Amid  the  conflicting  interests  and  passions 
of  the  throng,  let  the  sentiment  of  our  heart  be  that  which 
is  couched  in  the  beautiful  language  of  Hamet :  "  A 
little  brook  which  in  summer  will  never  be  dry,  and  in 
winter  will  never  overflow  ;"  or  rather,  the  prayer  of  our 
heart  should  be  that  of  Agur :  "  Give  me  neither  pov- 
erty nor  riches  ;  feed  me  with  food  convenient  for  me  ; 
lest  I  be  full,  and  deny  thee,  and  say,  'Who  is  the 
Lord  V'  or  lest  I  be  poor,  and  steal,  and  take  the  name 
of  my  (lod  in  vain." 

No  man  can  be  contented  until  he  beholds  God's 
agency  in  all  that  appertains  to  his  earthly  lot.  No  one 
can  be  at  rest  who  has  not  learned  to  wait  God's  time 
and  counsel  for  all  things  ;  to  be  thankful  for  whatever 
is  bestowed  ;  to  humble  himself  rather  than  to  gratify 
his  pride  ;  to  mortify  than   indulge  his  lusts  ;   to  submit 


THE    GRAVE    OF    LUSTS.  107 

his  judgment  to  Sovereign  wisdom  ;  and  to  resign  his 
will  to  unerring  goodness  and  exhaustless  love. 

Experience,  if  nothing  else,  might  teach  us  the  folly 
of  inordinate  desires  ;  that  they  bring  with  them  evil  and 
not  good,  a  curse  and  not  a  blessing.  We  cannot  ad- 
vert to  our  own  experience,  without  regretting  that  some 
one  selfish  desire  had  not  been  timely  repressed,  or  some 
other  temptation  to  aggrandize  self  been  steadfastly  re- 
sisted. We  cannot  look  around  us  without  perceiving 
the  ravages  of  fleshly  lusts  on  the  condition  and  character 
of  immortal  beings.  Our  very  pathway  through  life  is, 
as  it  were,  strewed  with  the  bones  of  those  that  lusted. 

Why,  then,  fret  ourselves  "  because  of  him  who  pros- 
pereth  in  his  way  ?"  or  pity  him  whom  God  in  mercy 
has  seen  fit  to  disappoint  and  try  ?  Who  shall  not  look 
well  to  himself,  if  placed  in  circumstances  of  worldly 
prosperity?  for,  though  all  things  maj'  be  prosperous 
and  felicitous  without,  yet  within  there  may  be  naught 
but  famine,  and  leanness,  and  spiritual  death !  And 
who  that  has  set  out  in  the  ways  of  his  heart,  will  not 
be  warned  betimes  to  extricate  himself  from  the  deadly 
grasp  which  the  world  is  about  to  fasten  on  his  soul  ? 

There  is  a  greater  evil  in  life  than  either  poverty  or 
obscurity — than  toil  or  trial  —  than  suffering  or  sorrow  : 
it  is  to  be  left  of  God  "  to  eat  of  the  fruit  of  our  own 
ways,  and  to  be  filled  with  our  own  devices."  There 
is  a  sentence  more  dreadful  than  that  of  immediate  death 
and  damnation  :  '''  Ephrahn  is  johicd  to  his  idols — let 
him  alo?ic  /" 

Kihroth-hattacn-nh  !  What  lessons  of  wisdom  may 
be  gathered  at  that  plaop  !   what  solemn  warnings  rather 


108  THE    GRAVE    OF    LUSTS. 

are  there  uttered  !  There,  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion, the  world  has  buried  its  votaries.  There  are  the 
graves  of  the  sensual,  the  covetous,  the  ambitious. 
Where  be  their  pleasures  now?  their  riches?  their  hon- 
ors?—  all  the  vain  things  they  lusted  after,  and  for  which 
they  bartered  their  soids  ? 

My  soul  turns  in  horror,  and  exclaims :  '  Let  God 
do  with  me  as  seemeth  unto  him  best ;  only  let  me  be 
humble,  grateful,  and  submissive ;  yea,  let  me  "  deny 
all  .ungodliness  and  worldly  lust,  and  live  a  godly,  sober, 
and  righteous  life!"  —  ever  seeking  "the  kingdom  of 
God  and  his  righteousness."  '  This  is  an  object  wor- 
thy of  all  our  thoughts  and  desires :  for  this  we  ma}-^ 
ever  long,  and  strive,  and  pray  :  it  is  adapted  to  the 
nature  of  the  soul,  and  will  fill  and  bless  all  its  capaci- 
ties. "  Blessed  are  they  which  do  hunger  and  thirst 
after  righteousness  ;  for  they  shall  be  filled." 

The  children  of  this  world  must  needs  be  skeptical 
of  the  nature  and  tendency  of  religion  to  confer  lasting 
good.  Infatuated  by  their  own  hearts'  lusts,  they  can 
not  easily  conceive  of  a  happiness  separate  from  selfish 
gratification.-*.  To  such,  there  is  a  seeming  reality  in 
the  shadows  they  pursue ;  and  hence,  even  the  disap- 
pointments and  losses  to  which  they  may  be  subjected 
do  not  change  the  current  of  their  desires.  But  the 
Christian,  having  awaked  to  a  sense  of  his  high  rela- 
tions, knows,  from  his  own  experience,  that  he  is  never 
so  free  from  disquietude  as  when  he  is  waiting  upon 
God  —  so  happy  as  when  he  commits  his  way  unto  the 
Lord ;  that  there  is  nowhere  else  such  peace  as  flows 
from  "  the  li<jrht   of  God's  countenance."     In  view  of 


THE    GRAVE    OF    LUSTS.  lOD 

that  inheritance  which  is  incorruptible  and  undefiled,  O 
what  a  feeling  of  the  vanity  of  all  earthly  things  sweeps 
over  his  consciousness  !  —  a  feeling  that  suffers  no  abate- 
ment, until,  through  the  transforming  influence  of  faith, 
he  is  able  to  exclaim  :  "  Whom  have  1  in  heaven  but 
thee?  and  there  is  none  upon  earth  that  I  desire  besides 
thee." 

"  Give  what  thou  canst,  without  thee  I  am  poor ; 
But  with  thee,  rich,  take  what  thou  wilt  away." 

10 


110  THE    CONSPIRACY    DEFEATED. 


THE  CONSPIRACY  DEFEATED. 

He  who  does  wrong  is  apt  to  do  worse,  either  that 
he  may  conceal  the  wrong,  or  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  in- 
iquity. Tlje  fear  of  exposure,  or  the  fear  of  loss,  coun- 
teracts the  remonstrances  of  conscience  and  the  motives 
to  repentance,  until  the  mind  becomes  blinded  in  its 
perceptions  of  right,  and  the  heart  loses  all  sensibility 
to  crime.  Thus  falsehood  leads,  as  by  a  moral  necessity, 
to  perjury — overreaching,  to  forgery  —  libidinous  de- 
sire, to  the  violation  of  domestic  purity  —  and  the  wrath- 
ful passions  to  the  destruction  of  human  life  ;  while  each 
criminal  deed,  as  it  were,  seeks  and  claims  support  from 
the  other,  as  the  degraded,  wretched  inmates  of  a  prison 
contrive  to  keep  each  other  in  countenance.  Sad  is  it 
to  think  of  the  transformation  which  human  nature  may 
undergo  —  from  virtuous  promptings  and  resolves,  to 
evil  passions,  and  polluting  practices,  and  criminal 
deeds  ;  from  that  which  promises  a  useful,  happy  life, 
to  all  that  betokens  degradation  and  despair.  But  time 
is  necessary  to  the  development  of  evil  propensities. 
Conscience  must  be  injured  by  other  and  deeper  acts 
of  wrong,  before  the  man  is  left  to  the  unrestrained  con- 
trol of  his  own  heart's  lusts.  Let  the  first  promptings 
to  evil  be  unresisted,  the  first  wrong  unrepented  of,  and 


THE    CONSPIRACY    DEFEATED.  Ill 

no  youth  may  say  of  u'liat  he  may  not  be  guihy :  even 
that  bright  and  beautiful  boy  may  become  a  monster  in 
crime. 

Thus  was  it  with  Absalom.  He  had  given  loose  to 
evil  passions,  and  by  adding  crime  to  crime,  had  at  last 
rebelled  against  his  kingly  father  ;  and,  not  content  with 
having  wrested  the  sceptre  from  his  hand,  and  driven 
him  from  his  home,  he  now  aims  to  compass  his  death 
—  the  bloody  death  of  that  father  who  had  lavished  on 
him,  from  his  boyhood,  all  the  smiles  and  favors  of  pa- 
ternal love  !  Never  had  a  father  a  more  lovely  and 
promising  son  ;  and  never  did  a  son  more  grievously 
disappoint  a  father's  fondest  hopes. 

It  might  be  supposed  that  Absalom's  treatment  of  his 
father  would  have  frustrated  his  traitorous  designs ;  but 
his  personal  attractions,  together  with  his  plausible  ad- 
dress, predisposed  the  people  to  accredit  his  statements  ; 
while  his  incipient  success  served  at  once  to  decide  those 
who  had  wavered  or  stood  aloof  from  motives  of  pol- 
icy. In  times  of  civil  commotion,  the  many,  without 
pausing  to  decide  on  the  merits  of  a  cause,  will  incline 
now  to  this  side,  and  then  to  that,  according  as  either 
gives  promise  of  triumph  ;  but  though  Absalom's  con- 
duct must  have  appeared  in  an  odious  light,  yet  David 
himself  had  made  many  personal  enemies  —  he  had  even 
given  occasion  for  the  enemies  of  God  to  blaspheme  ; 
and  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  suppose,  that  some  among 
his  people  waited  but  an  opportunity  to  show  their  con- 
tempt of  his  religion,  and  their  hatred  of  his  rule. 

It  must  be  admitted,  however,  that  men  are  seldom 
wanting  to  second  the  designs  of  selfish  ambition.     The 


112  THE    CONSPIRACY    DEFEATED. 

less  restrained  by  principle,  the  more  artful  will  one  be 
in  his  efforts  to  entrap  the  unwary,  and  the  more  adroit 
in  the  selection  of  his  agents.  Thus  it  happens  that  a 
corrupt  politician  sometimes  enjoys  the  support  of  well- 
meaning,  but  credulous  men  ;  or  that  a  flagrant  offender 
in  the  church  is,  in  some  instances,  upheld  even  by  good 
men  —  they  have  been  flattered  by  his  attentions,  or  ca- 
joled by  his  artifices  :  perhaps,  he  approached  them  on 
their  blind  side,  and  in  return  for  the  compliment,  they 
cover  him  with  the  mantle  of  their  charity.  There  were 
men  in  Absalom's  train  who,  however  opposed  to  some 
of  David's  acts,  could  not  have  been  insensible  to  the 
heinous  ingratitude  of  his  son's  conspiracy,  unless  they 
had  been  blinded  by  his  arts,  or  seduced  by  his  promi- 
ses :  these  were  some  of  the  ciders  of  Israel ! — as  men  of 
official  dignity  have  since  been  detected  in  advocating 
the  wrong  against  the  right.  But  others  sided  with  Ab- 
salom, from  a  regard  to  their  own  interests  rather  than 
to  his  —  opportunely  availing  themselves  of  his  conspir- 
acy to  gratify  some  long-cherished  passion — as  there 
are  not  a  few  at  the  present  day  who,  having  nothing  to 
lose  by  any  political  convulsion,  would  even  plunge 
their  country  into  the  horrors  of  a  civil  war,  rather  than 
forego  the  chance  of  personal  aggrandizement.  Thus 
men  of  talents  without  principle  are  found  engaged  in  a 
bad  cause  ;  nor  are  men  of  superior  penetration  always 
ingenuous.  When  their  object  is  good,  they  are  wont 
to  effect  it  in  a  circuitous,  rather  than  in  a  direct  and 
simple  way  ;  and  thus  a  habit  of  acting  is  formed  which 
impairs  integrity  and  precludes  confidence.  No  man  is 
more  to  be  avoided  than  he  who  prides  himself  on  his 


THR    CONSPIRACY    DEFEATED.  Il3 

ability  to  devise  ways  and  means.  Rather  than  be 
subjected  to  the  mortification  of  failure,  he  may  betray 
others,  as  well  as  be  betrayed,  into  iniquitous  measures. 
He  who  thinks  that  he  sees  further  than  other  men,  will 
be  tempted  to  overreach.  At  any  rate,  a  reputation  for 
great  wisdom  does  not  prove  its  possession.  Many  an 
obscure  man  can  give  us  better  counsel  than  the  oracle 
of  a  party,  or  the  chief  of  a  profession.  One  may  ex- 
cel in  worldly  wisdom,  yet  be  utterly  devoid  of  moral 
principle  ;  but  wisdom  without  grace,  is  the  wisdom  of 
the  serpent. 

Absalom  had  engaged  the  ablest  counsel  in  the  king- 
dom ;  and  to  human  view,  this  was  a  triumph  on  his 
part.  David  himself  thought  that  he  might  better  have 
lost  any  other  man  than  Ahithophel.  That  one  man  is 
a  host  in  himself.  To  receive  his  counsel,  is  as  though 
one  had  inquired  at  the  oracle  of  God. 

Absalom  therefore,  in  all  probability,  relied  on  Ahith- 
ophel, as  men  in  a  strait  are  apt  to  lean  on  their  own 
understanding,  or  to  defer  to  casual  suggestions.  But 
Ahithophel  relied  on  himself:  he  could  hardly  have  had 
such  a  reputation,  and  not  presumed  on  his  sagacity. 
We  may  detect  this  same  spirit  of  self-reliance  not  less 
in  the  ecclesiastic  who  has  distinguished  himself  for  his 
polilic  measures,  than  in  the  statesman  who  has  been 
long  acknowledged  as  the  thinking  head  of  his  party. 
Hence,  such,  sooner  or  later,  outwit  themselves  and  de- 
feat their  own  ends.  Wise  as  Ahithophel  conceived 
himself  to  be,  he  made  the  mistake  that  worldly-wise 
men  so  often  commit  —  he  left  God  out  of  bis  counsels, 
and  in  so  doing,  lost  all  respect  to  the  right.  '  How  to 
10* 


114  THE    CO?^PmAC\-    DEFEATED. 

accomplish  his  end'  is  now  the  question  :  the  nature 
of  the  n^eans  to  be  employed  is  of  n^inov  consideration. 
Hence  the  folly  and  the  wickedness  of  his  first  advice 
to  Absalom.*  It  proves  that,  with  all  his  wisdom,  he 
scrupled  at  no  means  to  carry  his  purpose  ;  it  proclaims 
what  he  meant  to  conceal,  that  he  felt  himself  to  be  in 
a  false  position.  Having  taken  a  most  hazardous  step 
for  himself,  he  has  awaked  to  the  conviction  that  with 
all  his  penetration  he  has  been  the  dupe  of  his  own  pas- 
sions, and  now  has  not  so  much  his  repTUation  to  sup- 
port, as  his  place  to  keep,  and  even  his  life  to  defend! 

In  giving  his  counsel,  it  was  primarily  his  object  to  re- 
venge himself  on  David,  and  to  preclude  all  reconciliation 
between  the  conflicting  parties  ;  but  the  act  proposed  was 
ill-advised  for  himself,  and  worse  for  x\bsalom.  Such  an 
act  that  "blurs  the  grace  and  blush  of  modesty,"  could 
only  render  him  more  debauched  and  unreasonable,  and 
prejudice  the  public  mind  against  his  rule.  This  Ahith- 
ophel  might  have  foreseen  ;  and  it  may  be,  that  in  giv- 
ing such  nefarious  counsel,  he  had  an  eye  to  x\bsalom's 
downfall  and  his  own  exaltation.  But  evil  counsels 
ultimately  recoil  on  both  the  giver  and  receiver.  The 
righteous  may  suffer  long ;  but  "  the  triumphing  of  the 
wicked  is  short." 

It  might  be  expected  that  one  who  had  been  brought 
up  as  Absalom  was,  would  not  prove  a  blessing  to  his 
father ;  and  that  a  son  who  had  been  unrestrained  in 
his  evil  ways,  would  ultimately  ruin  himself:  this  is  ac- 
cording to  the  usual  course  of  things.  Whatever  the 
laxity  of  domestic  rule,  or  the  encouragement  to  vice 
•  2  Sam.  xvl  2). 


THE    CONSPIRACY   DEFEATED.  116 

afforded  by  paternal  example,  the  son,  in  his  downward 
course,  acts  voluntarily.  Absalom  might  have  crimina- 
ted his  father,  but  he  acted  contrary  to  his  own  convic- 
tions of  right,  and  at  the  instance  of  his  own  selfish  pas- 
sions ;  and  therefore  it  cannot  be  justly  alleged  that 
God,  in  order  to  make  good  his  word  that  "  he  would 
raise  up  evil  against  David,"  necessitated  Absalom's 
treatment  of  his  father.  In  all  his  plans  and  movements 
there  may  be  detected  the  signs  of  a  self-willed  and 
quick-witted  youth  ;  one  who  could  beeither  imperious 
or  servile,  desperate  or  plausible,  as  suited  his  humor 
and  furthered  his  interests  ;  who  sought  pleasure  as  well 
as  power  ;  and  notwithstanding  his  personal  vanity  and 
violent  passions,  had  the  sagacity  to  secure  the  most  dis- 
tinguished counsel,  and  the  patience  to  mature  his  plot. 
Thus  far  all  has  equalled  the  most  sanguine  expecta- 
tions. Absalom  is  in  possession  of  the  city,  and  the 
elders  of  Israel  have  rallied  around  his  standard.  The 
renowned  counsellor  of  the  realm  is  by  his  side ;  and 
now,  lo !  the  very  man  who  had  been  David's  bosom 
friend,  espouses  his  side  and  waits  his  bidding.  He 
has  attained  the  summit  of  his  ambition  :  the  crown  is 
his  by  might,  though  not  by  right ;  and  therefore  the 
struggle  in  which  he  had  engaged  has,  notwithstanding 
his  present  elevation,  but  just  begun.  Before  the  break 
of  another  day,  his  dethroned  father  may  have  fled  be- 
yond his  reach,  or  intrenched  himself  in  some  impreg- 
nable fortress  :  his  forlorn  condition  may  have  awakened 
a  widespread  sympathy,  and  a  reaction  may  ensue  in  the 
public  mind.  There  is  no  time  for  delay  :  "  each  hour 
is  pregnant  with  a  thousand  perils." 


116  THE    CONSPIRACY    DEFEATED. 

Whatever  might  have  been  his  exultation  on  entering 
the  city,  serious  thoughts  now  press  upon  him,  and  sad 
misgivings  embarrass  his  purpose.  '  If  David  should 
cover  his  retreat,  and  at  last  muster  strength,  what  must 
be  my  fate  ?  i/e  cannot  pardon  ;  /cannot  submit.  The 
die  is  cast !'  Thus  might  he  have  felt,  yet  would  he 
not  precipitate  action.  He  will  be  cautious ;  he  will 
canvass  the  views  of  his  adherents,  and  decide  as  to  the 
wisest  course.  Accordingly,  he  summoned  a  meeting 
of  all  the  principal  men  on  his  side  ;  and  it  was  in  this 
council  that  he  called  on  Ahithophel  and  Hushai  in 
turn  to  give  their  opinions.  They  were  men  not  un- 
equally matched  in  foresight,  though  the  one  had  been 
unknown  as  a  counsellor.  They  were  alike  capable  of 
giving  the  wisest  counsel,  but  influenced  in  their  re- 
spective opinions  by  conflicting  personal  motives.  True 
to  their  own  private  and  separate  ends,  though  not  alike 
true  to  Absalom,  the  one  was  swayed  by  his  desire  of 
being  revenged  on  David,  the  other  by  his  desire  to 
reinstate  David  in  his  lawful  dominion.  The  vindic- 
tive passion  of  the  one  rendered  him  bloodthirsty  and 
desperate  ;  the  friendly  sympathies  of  the  other  blinded 
him  to  candor  and  truth.  In  the  counsel  of  the  one,  we 
detect  the  malignity  of  a  foe ;  in  that  of  the  other,  the 
arts  of  a  hypocrite.  The  one  would  have  destroyed 
David,  the  other  dispossessed  Absalom. 

Ahithophel  was  of  opinion  that  David  should  be  im- 
mediately pursued,  before  he  had  time  to  recover  from 
his  fright;  and,  to  this  end,  proposed  that  twelve  thou- 
sand chosen  men  should  be  at  once  put  under  his  com- 
mand.     But  Hushai  expressed  himself  to  the  effect  that 


THE    CO>JSriKACY    DEFEATED.  117 

such  a  movement  would  be  precipitate  and  hazardous  ; 
that  David  had  too  much  foresight  to  expose  his  person, 
and  too  much  courage  to  be  easily  intimidated  ;  that  his 
followers  were  now  enraged  and  desperate  ;  and  that 
the  issue  of  a  midnight  conflict,  under  any  circum- 
stances, was  doubtful.  The  risk  of  failure  was  too 
great ;  and  if  David  should  gain  even  a  partial  advan- 
tage over  Ahithophel,  the  report  of  his  success  would 
be  magnified,  and,  by  consequence,  the  great  body  of 
the  people  would  at  once  incline  to  his  side.  He  pro- 
posed, therefore,  that  every  Hebrew  capable  of  bearing 
arms  should  be  forthwith  enlisted ;  and  that  Absalom 
himself,  to  whom  the  honor  belonged,  should  assume 
the  command  of  the  army  ;  and  concluded  by  adroitly 
intimating  that,  with  such  numbers,  he  might  fall  on 
David  as  the  dew  falls  on  the  ground  —  or  even  draw 
the  city  of  his  refuge,  with  ropes,  into  the  adjacent 
river  !  * 

It  might  be  supposed  that  the  elders  would  have  de- 
cided against  Hushai's  counsel ;  but  Absalom  was  the 
man  around  whom  they  had  rallied  —  his  pleasure  was 
to  be  consulted  :  and  though  it  required  but  litde  sa- 
gacity to  foresee  the  issue  of  following  Hushai's  coun- 
sel, yet  it  fell  in  with  Absalom's  characteristic  weakness. 
In  this  respect,  bad  advice  differs  from  good  :  the  latter 
always  exacts  some  denial  of  self — the  former  accords 
with  inclination,  and  serves  lo  gratify  whatever  passion 
may  be  predominant.  Hence,  a  man  of  strong  besetting 
sins,  though  he  may  confer  with  others,  usually  trusts 
in  his  own  heart,  and  unconsciously  aims  to  justify  him- 
•  2  Sam.  xvii.  1-13. 


118  THE    CONSPIRACY    DEFEATED. 

self  in  taking  his  own  course,  even  when  seemingly  de- 
sirous of  deferring  to  superior  and  dispassionate  judg- 
ment. By  gathering  all  Israel,  Absalom  will  have  an 
opportunity  of  displaying  himself;  and,  by  commanding 
in  person,  will  secure  to  himself  all  the  glory  of  victory  ; 
for,  with  so  great  an  army,  he  at  once  precludes  per- 
sonal risk,  and  David's  escape  ! 

Hushai  knew  his  man,  and  adroitly  aimed  to  flatter 
and  bhnd  him  ;  and  thus  by  his  management  defeated 
counsel  which,  if  followed,  would  have  resulted  in  Da- 
vid's immediate  and  irretrievable  overthrow  :  and  it  is 
in  this  way  that  the  wisest  counsels  are  sometimes  frus- 
trated—  that  the  pettifogger  gains  advantage  over  the 
jurist,  the  demagogue  over  the  patriot,  the  ecclesiastic 
over  the  Christian.  Here  is  the  secret  of  that  potent 
influence  which  Jesuitism  wields,  and  of  the  danger  to 
which  men  in  authority  are  liable  from  crafty  advisers. 
Caesar  himself  was  at  last  conquered  by  his  vanity  : 

"  I  tell  him  he  hates  flatterers ; 


He  says  he  does  —  being  then  most  flattered." 

There  are  times  when  duty  calls  to  no  arduous  sacri- 
fice of  self;  but,  as  a  general  rule,  that  advice  is  to  be 
cautiously  received  which  ministers  to  the  gratification 
of  pride  and  vanity,  or  to  any  prevailing  passion.  This 
is  the  usual  expedient  of  men  having  their  own  private 
ends  to  answer,  when  called  on  for  their  advice  —  to 
give,  not  that  which  will  subserve  the  essential  interests 
of  a  cause,  but  be  most  agreeable  to  inclination  and 
gratifying  to  pride.  It  is  especially  the  case  with  those 
who  have  changed  sides  in  a  controversy  or  an  interest ; 


THE    CONSPIRACY    DEFEATED.  119 

and  hence  such  men,  whether  found  in  the  church  or 
state,  are  unworthy  oi  confidence. 

Hushai  had  been  known  as  David's  friend,  and  David 
had  probably  conferred  on  him  some  signal  benefits  ; 
hence  Absalom's  exclamation  on  beholding  him  :  "  Is 
this  thy  kindness  (thy  gratitude)  to  thy  friend  ?"  He 
was  the  last  man  whom  Absalom  could  have  expected 
to  join  his  standard ;  and  on  this  account,  notwithstand- 
ing his  surprise  at  seeing  him,  he  was  only  the  more 
flattered  by  his  coming.  This  simple  circumstance 
might  have  led  him  to  insist  on  Hushai's  giving  his 
counsel :  it  was  a  compliment,  be  might  have  thought, 
due  to  one  who  had  made  such  personal  sacrifices  for 
his  sake.  So  true  is  it  that  flattery  blinds  our  eye  to 
the  true  moral  character  and  deserts  of  the  flatterer : 
he  makes  us  pleased  with  ourselves,  and  we  reciprocate 
the  compliment  by  being  pleased  with  him.  Opposition 
itself  is  often  disarmed  by  an  insinuating  approach  and 
deferential  address.  "  I  hate  the  traitor,"  said  an  an- 
cient general,  "  but  I  love  the  treason  ;"  and  it  is  on  the 
same  principle  that  men  can  seldom  resist  the  influence 
of  flattery,  even  when  proffered  by  those  whom  they 
hate  or  despise. 

Though  Hushai  had  proposed  to  himself  a  laudable 
end,  yet  we  cannot  justify  him  in  the  means  which  he 
adopted.  Because  Absalom  must  be  put  down,  is  tliat 
to  say  that  Hushai  shall  become  a  dissembler  and  spy  ? 
False  at  heart,  ho  assumes  the  mask  of  friendship,  and 
receives,  only  to  take  advantage  of,  the  confidence  with 
which  he  is  honored.  He  is  not  to  be  justified,  unless 
thaj  are  who,  under  pretence  of  promoting  God's  glory, 


120  THE    CO-WSPIRACy    DEFEATED. 

violate  truth  and  justice.  The  actions  of  such  may  be 
overruled  for  good  ;  but,  being  wrong  in  themselves, 
they  are  as  strictly  blameworthy  and  punishable  as  though 
they  had  eventuated  in  evil.  Nor  can  David  be  entirely 
exculpated  —  though  it  admits  of  a  doubt  whether  he  in- 
structed Hushai  to  violate  truth  to  effect  his  end.  His 
chief  object  in  sending  Hushai,  was  to  be  advised  of 
Absalom's  movements  ;  and  so  far,  a  wise  precaution, 
justified  by  his  son's  usurpation  and  treachery.  We 
can  hardly  suppose  that  David  acted  according  to  the 
maxim  —  since  so  common  in  tbe  courts  of  kings  —  that 
"  he  who  knows  not  how  to  dissemble,  knows  not  how 
to  govern."  Perhaps  he  was  not  in  a  suitable  frame  of 
mind  to  contemplate  the  moral  nature  of  an  act ;  or,  in 
his  perplexity  and  distress,  might  not  have  been  aware 
of  the  exact  construction  that  would  be  put  on  his  charge 
to  Hushai.  He  knew  that  some  action  was  imperiously 
necessary  to  arrest  the  progress  of  the  rebellion,  and  that, 
whatever  means  might  be  adopted,  it  was  not  on  these 
that  implicit  reliance  could  be  placed.  He  is  humbled 
and  penitent — weeping,  barefoot,  shorn  of  his  glory,  and 
reduced  to  the  la^t  extremity.  But  behold,  he  prayeth  ! 
And  wh.at  is  the  burden  of  his  prayer?  That  his  own 
life  might  be  spared,  or  the  life  of  his  son  —  or  that  his 
enemies  might  be  destroyed  ?  No,  but  that  the  counsel 
of  Ahithophel  may  be  defeated.  He  knew  that  no  one 
could  cope  with  the  disaffected  counsellor;  that  what- 
ever Hushai's  adroitness,  all  would  be  in  vain,  unless 
God  should  interpose  in  his  behalf — even  that  God 
who  "  taketh  the  wise  in  their  own  craftiness"  —  who 
"  maketh  the  devices  of  the  people  of  none  efFect"  — 


THE    CONSPIUACY    DEFEATED.  121 

"  in  whose  hand  is  the  heart  oi"  kings,  and  who  turneth 
it  whithersoever  he  will."  He  had  heen  left  out  of  the 
counsels  of  both  Hushai  and  Ahiihophel ;  and,  to  human 
e3^e,  there  is  in  their  respective  counsels  nothing  out  of 
the  ordinary  course  of  events  :  and  the  results,  as  in  all 
similar  cases,  were  apparently  brought  about  by  the  one 
party  overmastering  or  outwitting  the  othef.  Yet  God 
was  present  in  that  deliberative  assembly ;  and,  while 
permitting  Hushai  and  Ahithophel  to  act  out  their  own 
thoughts,  was  really  and  truly  governingthem  and  all  their 
actions. 

No  one  can  look  at  the  respective  tendencies  of  vir- 
tue and  vice,  or  contemplate  that  retribution  which  not 
unfrequently  overtakes  the  guilty,  without  perceiving 
that  we  live  under  a  government  which  dispenses  re- 
wards and  punishments  in  a  natural  way ;  nor  can  any 
one  have  an  experience  of  life,  without  being  forcibly 
reminded,  either  by  some  remarkable  success  or  disap- 
pointment, some  unaccountable  suggestion,  some  sud- 
den and  wonderful  turn  in  the  course  of  his  affairs,  that 
"  it  is  not  in  man  that  walketh  to  direct  his  steps."  Who 
can  calculate  with  certainty  on  the  issue  of  a  single  plan, 
much  less  on  the  result  of  any  great  undertaking?  Not 
that  there  is  no  connection  between  means  and  ends,  or 
no  regularity  in  the  order  of  human  events.  Were  we 
not  susceptible  to  the  influence  of  motives,  and  did  not 
experience  teach  us  that,  as  a  general  rule,  certain  con^ 
sequences  do  follow  from  a  particular  course  of  action, 
man  would  be  the  sport  of  circumstances,  or  the  victim 
of  fate.  But,  though  his  conduct  has  a  bearing  on  his 
temporal  condition,  so  that  there  is  an  inseparable  con- 

11 


122  THE    CONSPIRACY    DEFEATED. 

nection  between  idleness  and  poverty,  vice  and  misery, 
improvidence  and  ruin — yet  his  wisest  plans  are  some- 
times abortive,  and  the  fruits  of  his  persevering  industry 
blasted  :  thus  furnishing  abundant  exemplifications  of 
the  truth  of  those  inspired  sa}nngs,  that  "the  race  is  not 
ahcays  to  the  swift,  nor  the  batde  to  the  strong;"  that 
"  promotion  cometh  neither  from  the  east,  nor  from  the 
west,  nor  from  the  south;"  —  and  thereby  constraining 
every  reflective  mind  to  acknowledge  the  controlling 
agency  of  some  Sovereign  will.  And  in  like  manner, 
though  certain  things  tend,  on  the  one  hand,  to  national 
as  well  as  individual  prosperity,  and,  on  the  other,  lead 
to  the  destruction  of  empires  as  well  as  to  the  individual 
loss  of  health,  property,  character,  and  life  ;  and  though 
we  may  account  for  great  events,  whether  as  connected 
with  individuals  or  with  states,  on  what  are  called  sec- 
ondary principles  ;  yet  may  there  almost  invariably  be 
detected  some  peculiar  circumstances  accompanying 
each  event,  which  serve  to  reveal  the  hand  of  Him  "  by 
whom  kings  reign,  and  princes  decree  justice." 

How  strange  that  Absalom  should  have  given  the 
preference  to  Hushai's  counsel  —  when  Ahithophel  was 
the  man  to  whose  judgment  his  father,  as  well  as  the 
chief  men  of  state,  had  been  wont  to  defer  ;  whose  wis- 
dom he  himself  had  been  taught  to  regard  as  oracular, 
and  to  whose  aid  the  success  of  his  own  conspiracy  was 
chiefly  owing  !  At  this  early  stage  of  the  rebellion,  it 
was,  too,  the  most  short-sighted  policy  to  set  aside  the 
judgment  of  so  influential  a  man,  in  favor  of  one  whose 
unexpected  appearance  under  the  circumstances  ren- 
dered his  motives  open  to  suspicion.     Absalom  never 


THE    CONSPIRACY    DEFEATED.  123 

intended  to  act  contrary  to  Ahithophel's  advice  ;  and  in 
calling-  on  Husliai  for  his  opinion,  probably  had  no  other 
object  than  simply  to  secure  his  allegiance,  by  gratifying 
his  self-consequence.  Had  Hushai  been  a  little  later, 
or  not  given  a  humoring  turn  to  his  views,  Ahithophel's 
counsel  would  have  been  followed.  But  who  so  ordered 
events  that  Hushai  should  reach  the  council-chamber  in 
time,  and  that  his  views  should  please  Absalom  ?  Should 
it  be  said  that  it  is  beneath  God  to  attend  to  the  detail 
of  human  affairs,  and  that  it  is  more  reasonable  to  ac- 
count for  the  influence  of  Hushai's  counsel  on  the  score 
of  Absalom's  vanity,  this  would  not  annul  our  argument 
in  favor  of  the  extent  of  God's  providential  control ;  for 
all  great  events  can  be  traced  to  apparently  trivial  and 
contingent  circumstances,  with  as  much  certainty  as  the 
mighty  river  can  be  traced  to  the  trickling  rill.  We 
need  not  refer  to  other  instances  of  Providence  which 
may  be  found  in  the  inspired  records :  profane  history 
abounds  with  ever-varying  proofs  of  the  dependence  of 
the  most  weighty  interests  on  seeming  trifles.  What 
led  to  the  timely  defence  of  Rome's  ancient  capitol,  but 
the  cackling  of  the  sacred  geese?  What  occasioned 
the  destruction  of  Carthage,  but  the  sight  of  a  fig  shown 
in  the  senate-house  at  Rome  ?  What  led  to  the  detection 
of  the  gunpowder-plot,  but  a  letter  carelessly  dropped, 
and,  so  to  speak,  accidentally  found  ?  What  was  the 
ultimate  cause  of  Marlborough's  overthrow,  but  an  ebul- 
lition of  passion  on  the  part  of  a  woman  ?  What  chained 
Napoleon  to  a  rock  in  the  ocean,  but  an  event  not  more 
important  in  itself  than  that  which  fixed  him  for  a  time 
on  the  consular  throne  ?     Such  instances  might  be  mul- 


124  THE    CONSPIRACY    DEFEATED. 

tiplied  indefinitely  ;  and  if  so,  tlien  is  the  history  of  our 
world,  of  men  and  empires,  simply  a  history  of  God's 
dealings  with  the  human  family :  and  his  providence 
may  alike  be  recognised  at  all  times  and  under  all  cir- 
cumstances—  in  all  men's  movements  and  purposes;  in 
the  life  of  every  soul  of  man,  as  well  as  in  the  rise  and 
fall  of  nations  ;  amid  all  the  conflicting  passions  and  in- 
terests of  men,  as  well  as  in  the  diurnal  revolution  of 
the  earth,  or  the  ebb  and  flow  of  the  ocean. 

There  is  no  such  thing  as  chance.  Every  atom  has 
its  law  :  not  a  sparrow  falls  to  the  ground  without  Heav- 
en's notice,  nor  is  a  hair  of  our  head  unnumbered. 
Chance  !  it  has  no  place  in  God's  dominions.  Even 
Science  disowns  it,  while  Religion  shudders  at  the 
thought.  Nothing  can  come  to  pass  without  God's 
agency  or  God's  permission.  While  controlling  states 
and  empires,  he  exercises  an  especial  care  and  disci- 
pline over  each  member  of  the  human  family.  Wars, 
famine.,  plagues,  earthquakes,  tempests,  are  his  messen- 
gers, and  not  the  less  so  because  the  less  apparent  or 
the  less  formidable  any  of  these  influences  which  result 
in  poverty  and  pain,  or  in  disease  and  death  ;  those  tri- 
fling things  which  we  call  mistakes,  or  occurrences  which 
we  call  casualties.  Man  may  draw  the  bow,  but  the 
Lord  directs  the  shaft.  Man  may  make  a  mistake,  but 
the  Lord  controls  the  issue.  Man  may  cast  his  "  lot 
into  the  lap,"  but  "  the  whole  disposing  thereof  is  of 
the  Lord." 

We  have  dwelt  the  longer  on  this  point,  because  the 
fact  that  Ahithophel's  counsel  was  defeated,  and  in  the 
manner  to  which  we  have  alluded,  not  only  serves  to 


THE    CONSPIRACY    DEFEATED.  125 

establish  the  doctrine  of  Providence,  but  to  show  that, 
notwithstanding  the  minuteness  of  God's  providential 
control,  it  does  not  interfere  with  either  the  operation 
of  general  laws,  or  with  the  freedom  of  choice.  The 
laws  of  nature,  as  they  are  designated,  are  the  effects  of 
some  external  power  :  they  imply  the  actual  interposi- 
tion of  a  force  from  without,  and  thus  reveal  the  con- 
stant operations  of  Deity.  In  any  other  sense  than  as 
expressive  of  the  uniform  modes  of  Divine  agency,  the 
phrase  is  without  meaning.  And  if  this  be  the  fact  in 
relation  to  the  laws  of  the  material  world,  why  may  it 
not  be  so  with  the  laws  of  the  human  mind  ?  If  it  can- 
not be  proved  that  God  ever  interferes  with  the  opera- 
tion of  general  laws  —  if  all  events  are  seemingly  brought 
about  by  what  we  are  pleased  to  term  secondary  princi- 
ples—  how  can  it  be  proved  that,  in  his  government 
over  his  rational  creatures,  God  ever  interferes  with  the 
freedom  of  the  will,  which,  viewed  as  a  law  of  the  mind, 
is  as  clearly  established  as  any  law  of  the  physical  world  ? 
or  why  needs  the  providence  of  God  interfere  with  the 
power  of  willing  any  more  than  with  the  power  of  gravi- 
tation ?  Every  one  is  conscious,  not  of  the  power  to 
think  or  not  to  think,  to  act  or  not  to  act  —  for  this  is 
not  essential  to  liberty  —  but  of  the  power  to  will  or  not 
to  will  —  the  power  of  a  contrary  choice;  and,  that  in 
being  influenced  by  either  casual  suggestions,  or  by  ar- 
guments formally  and  urgently  presented  to  his  mind, 
he  does  not  tiiereby  forego  the  power  of  choice.  In 
whatever  way  our  acquiescence  may  be  elicited,  or  our 
decision  obtained,  we  are  never  conscious  of  a  loss  of 
voluntary  power ;  and  he  who  has  influenced  us,  never 

11* 


126  THE    CONSPIRACY    DEFEATED. 

tliinks  of  having  destroyed  our  freedom.  Why,  then, 
mny  not  God,  by  a  secret  direction  of  natural  causes,  or 
by  giving  occasion  for  a  different  train  of  thought,  bring 
about  any  event,  whether  favorable  or  otherwise  to  an 
individual,  without  either  offering  violence  to  man's  will, 
or  suspending  the  operation  of  general  laws.  If  it  be 
said  that  God  cannot  exercise  such  a  providence  with- 
out destroying  free  moral  agency,  this  is  begging  the 
question  under  consideration,  and  not  only  so,  but  de- 
termining by  abstract  reasoning  a  point  which  is  beyond 
the  limits  of  our  knowledge,  and  at  the  same  time  falsify- 
ing the  teachings  of  scriptural  facts. 

In  like  manner,  the  fact  that  Ahithophel's  counsel  was 
defeated,  enables  us,  when  viewed  in  its  connections,  to 
account  for  sinful  actions,  without  reflecting  on  the  Di- 
vine perfection.  If  God's  providence  extends  to  men 
and  all  their  thoughts  and  actions,  it  follows  that  he 
must  permit  sinful  actions ;  that  he  may  limit  them,  and 
will  overrule  them.  But  though  he  permits,  it  does  not 
follow  that  he  approves  the  sinful  actions  of  his  creatures  ; 
or,  though  he  may  limit,  that  he  ought,  if  holy  himself, 
to  prevent ;  or,  though  he  overrules  them  for  good,  that 
he  does  not  hate  all  sinful  actions  in  themselves  consid- 
ered—  much  less,  that  they  lose  their  moral  turpitude 
by  being  overruled  for  good.  He  could  not  have  ap- 
proved of  Hushai's  deception  and  falsehood  ;  yet  he 
permitted  him  by  such  means  to  defeat  Ahithophel's 
counsel.  He  could  not  have  looked  with  complacency 
on  Absalom ;  yet  he  used  him  as  an  instrument,  and 
overruled  his  conduct  for  David's  good. 

Now,  it  is  clear,  from  both  the  intimations  of  our 


THE    CONSPIRACY   DEFEATED.  127 

moral  sense,  and  the  word  of  inspiration,  that  God  is  a 
perfect  being ;  cannot  look  on  sin  but  with  abhorrence  ; 
will  not  hold  any  sinful  creature  guiltless ;  and  that  he 
will  treat  every  man  according  to  his  deserts  :  further 
than  this  we  may  not  go.  God  cannot  be  the  author  of 
sin  ;  yet  God  must  be,  in  some  sense,  the  first  cause  of 
all  the  actions  of  his  dependent  creatures.  Am  I  asked 
to  reconcile  these  two  positions?  I  cannot  —  no  man 
can.  No  man  can  understand  how  God  acts  on  inani- 
mate matter  so  as  to  move  it  by  the  law  of  gravitation, 
much  less  the  mode  and  degree  of  his  operations  on 
spirhual  beings.  "  Canst  thou  by  searching  find  out 
God  ■?"  No  ;  but  of  this  we  may  be  assured — that  man 
cannot  be  independent  of  God,  nor  God  unjust  to  man.* 
To  show  his  displeasure  at  David's  sin,  God  had  de- 
termined to  raise  up  evil  against  him  from  out  of  his 
own  house ;  and  after  bringing  him  by  such  means  to  a 
penitent  sense  of  his  sin,  to  reinstate  him  in  his  rightful 
possessions.  Hence,  all  that  was  done  by  Absalom  and 
his  followers,  and  all  that  led  to  their  discomfiture  and 
defeat,  was  in  accordance  with  the  Divine  arrangements  : 
*'  The  Lord  had  appointed  to  defeat  the  good  counsel 

*  All  difficulties  on  this  subject  have  arisen  from  the  assumption  of 
wrong  premises  in  our  reasonings,  or  from  illegitimate  deductions  from 
true  principles.  Dependence  does  not  necessarily  involve  the  idea  of 
fatalism,  nor  does  the  idea  of  free  moral  agency  lead  to  the  conclusion 
that  man  is  the  sovereign  of  his  own  actions.  The  ground,  therefore, 
which  the  author  takes,  is  this :  that  man  is  entirely  dependent  on  God, 
j'et  responsible  to  God  for  all  his  acts;  that  God  is  holy,  yet  permits  and 
controls  all  sinful  actions.  Be  it  so,  that  such  positions  do  not  relieve 
his  mitiil  from  all  speculative  embarrassments;  still  he  holds  to  them, 
resting  assured  that  whatever  difficulties  may  embarrass  our  specula- 
tions here,  will  be  cleared  up  hereafter;  tliat  the  time  cometh  when 
God  will  be  seen  to  be,  and  adoringly  acknowledged  by  an  assembled 
universe,  "  clear  when  he  judges,  and  just  when  he  condemns." 


128  THE    CONSPIRACY    DEFEATED. 

of  Ahithophel,  to  the  intent  that  the  Lord  might  bring 
evil  upon  Absalom."  We  have  before  us,  then,  the  Di- 
vine purpose,  David's  prayer,  and  Hushai's  instrumen- 
tality. Unless  God  had  determined  to  arrest  Absalom 
in  his  rebellious  course,  neither  David's  prayer  nor 
Hushai's  errand  would  have  availed  ;  and  unless  David 
had  prayed  that  the  counsel  of  Ahithophel  might  be  de- 
feated, and  Hushai  had  gained  a  hearing  in  Absalom's 
councils,  the  Divine  purpose  would  not  have  been  ac- 
complished. There  is,  therefore,  an  intimate  connection 
between  God's  purposes  and  human  means ;  and  the 
particulars  of  this  narrative  may  serve  to  teach  us,  that 
whatever  the  end  which  God  has  determined,  he  has 
determined  all  the  means  essential  to  that  end,  not  ex- 
cepting the  prayers  of  his  people. 

We  are,  moreover,  furnished  with  an  answer  to  the 
various  objections  often  made  to  prayer  —  objections 
founded  as  much  in  ignorance  of  its  nature  as  in  imper- 
fect views  of  the  Divine  economy.  Prayer  is  the  offer- 
ing up  of  our  desires  for  things  ogreeahlc  to  the  Divine 
will,  and  therefore  God's  immutability  should  constitute 
no  hinderance  to  our  prayers  ;  nor  would  an  answer  to 
prayer  imply  that  he  is  changeable  in  his  purposes  —  it 
would  be  simply  an  instance  of  his  immutable  rectitude 
in  suiting  his  dealings  with  us  to  our  character  and  dis- 
position. Or,  as  God  has  predetermined  all  things,  it 
does  not  follow  that  prayer  is  useless,  unless  it  follows 
that  all  human  means  are  vain  for  the  same  reason  — 
much  less  that,  because  God  knows  our  wants,  prayer 
is  useless  ;  since  our  acknowledgment  of  our  wants 
may  be  the  predetermined  means  of  our  relief,  and  the 


THE    CONSPIRACY   DEFEATED.  129 

very  circumstance,  in  our  characters,  that  contributes  to 
render  us  the  proper  objects  of  the  Divine  regard.  Nor 
is  it  vanity  and  presumption  in  us  to  suppose  that  the 
great  God  will  heed  our  prayers,  since  he  himself  has 
commanded  us  to  pray  ;  and,  being  our  sovereign  law- 
giver, must  be  pleased  with  the  obedience  of  his  crea- 
tures. 

It  has  been  said  that  man  has  too  little  sagacity  to 
resolve  an  infinity  of  questions,  which  he  has  yet  saga- 
city enough  to  make  ;  but  there  is  this  peculiarity  in  all 
such  difficulties  as  may  embarrass  his  mind  in  relation 
to  prayer :  they  all  vanish,  when,  in  the  providence  of 
God,  he  is  reduced  to  an  extremity.  Whatever  may 
have  been  one's  sentiments  on  the  subject  of  religion, 
let  him  only  be  placed  in  circumstances  of  imminent 
danger,  of  pressing  want,  or  of  heart-breaking  sorrow, 
and  involuntarily  does  he  look  up  to  God,  as  to  the  only 
source  whence  help  can  come.  It  is  in  such  circum- 
stances that  the  Christian  feels  only  the  more  impelled 
to  the  throne  of  grace.  David  was  a  man  of  prayer ; 
but  we  can  easily  conceive  that  he  never  prayed  under 
a  deeper  sense  of  God's  sovereignty,  and  his  own  help- 
lessness and  sinfulness,  than  when  he  prayed  that  the 
counsel  of  Ahithophel  might  be  defeated. 

There  are  on  sacred  record  various  instances  of  prayer 
answered  :  thus,  in  answer  to  the  prayer  of  iVbraham, 
Abimelech's  family  were  delivered  from  their  distresses ; 
and  God  also  assured  Abraham,  in  answer  to  prayer, 
that  if  ten  righteous  men  should  be  found  in  the  cities 
of  the  plain,  he  would  spare  those  cities.  So,  in  an- 
swer to  the  prayer  of  Moses,  the  Israelites  were  deliv- 


130  THE    CONSPIRACY    DEFEATED. 

ered  from  various  evils ;  of  Job,  God  forgave  the  folly 
and  sin  of  his  friends  ;  of  Gideon,  the  dew  fell  on  the 
ground  and  not  on  the  fleece,  and  again  on  the  fleece 
and  not  on  the  grouud  ;  of  Samuel,  the  Lord  thundered 
on  the  Philistines,  and  wrought  a  great  deliverance  for 
Israel ;  of  Hezekiah,  the  mighty  army  of  Sennacherib 
perished  in  one  night ;  of  Daniel,  Gabriel  was  sent 
to  explain  the  vision  which  he  had  seen  ;  and  of  Cor- 
nelius, an  angel  was  sent  to  direct  him  to  the  aposUe 
who  should  teach  him  the  way  of  salvation.  But  amid 
such  instances,  none  is  so  striking  to  my  own  mind  as 
David's  prayer,  or  carries  with  it  so  deep  a  meaning. 
What  a  tribute  to  God's  omniscience  and  all-pervading 
agency  !  How  does  that  prayer  serve  to  disclose  Him 
to  our  contemplations,  as  presiding  over  all  human  coun- 
cils as  well  as  human  actions  —  able  to  make  the  hidden 
devices  of  man's  heart,  alike  with  all  the  laws  of  nature, 
subservient  to  his  high  purposes  !  Was  that  prayer 
answered  ?  were  the  counsels  of  Ahithophel  defeated  ? 
What,  then,  should  be  our  recourse,  when  enemies  en- 
compass us,  but  prayer  —  so  that  God  may  turn  their 
hearts?  To  whom  should  we  look  but  to  him,  when 
domestic  troubles  have  driven  peace  from  our  hearth,  or 
when  political  dissensions  endanger  the  peace  and  pros- 
perity of  our  land  ?  Who  but  he  that  sitteth  on  the  cir- 
cle of  the  heavens,  can  save  us  from  evil  counsels,  or 
counteract  the  devices  of  the  wicked  '? 

If  other  instances  of  the  efficacy  of  prayer  were  want- 
ing, the  manner  in  which  David's  prayer  was  answered 
teaches  us  that  there  is  power  i/i  iirayer — a  power 
which  can  control  the  cabinets  of  princes,  and  arrest  the 


THE    CONSPIUACy    DEFEATED.  131 

desolating  march  of  war ;  before  which  the  haughtiest 
ruler  may  hang  his  head  as  a  bulrush,  and  the  wisest 
statesman  stand  convicted  of  his  folly. 

Many  in  Israel  might  have  looked  on  David's  cause 
as  hopeless.  His  enemies  in  their  triumph  reproached 
him,  saying,  "Where  is  now  thy  God?"  He  is  de- 
nounced as  a  bloody  man,  and  stoned  by  a  rebel.  But 
penitence  is  opposed  to  despondency,  meekness  to  inju- 
ries, and  prayer  to  policy.  Strange  contrast  does  he 
present  to  those  who  had  driven  him  from  his  throne ! 
While  they  are  exulting  in  their  success,  he  is  shedding 
bitter  tears  ;  while  they  pride  themselves  on  their  num- 
bers, he  prostrates  himself  in  the  dust  on  account  of  his 
sins  ;  they  are  plotting  against  his  life,  he  giving  him- 
self unto  prayer.  Despise  him  who  may,  as  a  weak  and 
foolish  man,  unworthy  to  have  the  rule  of  a  nation. 
The  worldly-wise  are  still  too  prone  to  look  down  with 
sentiments  akin  to  pity  on  one  who  prays.  But  that 
prayer  of  David's  prevailed  with  God,  to  the  final  over- 
throw of  Absalom  and  his  followers ! 

What  befell  Hufhai  we  know  not:  doubtless  he  feli- 
citated himself  in  having  cajoled  Absalom  ;  but  as  no 
mention  is  afterward  made  of  him,  it  is  probable  he  fell 
in  the  general  battle  that  ensued  between  the  king  and 
the  insurgents. 

But  where  is  he  who  had  joined  the  conspiracy  under 
so  strong  a  persuasion  that  he  would  be  the  oracle  of  the 
party  ?  That  boasted  wisdom  of  his  has  been  turned 
into  foolishness.  And  where  now  are  his  ambitious 
plans?  v/hat  is  there  to  support  that  high  estimate  of  his 
powers  vv^hich   scorned   comparison  with  the   "  muddy- 


132  THE    CONSPIRACY    DEFEATED. 

pated"  throng?  Instead  of  enjoying  the  power  and 
place  which  he  had  anticipated  in  reward  for  his  coun- 
sels, disgrace  and  punishment  due  to  treason  stare  him 
in  the  face.  It  were  vain,  however,  to  attempt  to  depict 
the  passions  which  racked  his  mind  —  his  contemptuous 
hate,  his  wounded  pride,  his  disappointed  ambition,  each 
giving  place  in  turn  to  the  agonizing  conviction  that  all 
is  lost.  To  have  espoused  the  cause  -of  a  hairbrained 
youth,  only  to  be  at  last  subjected  to  so  deep  a  mortifi- 
cation ;  been  on  tlie  eve  of  final  triumph,  only  to  witness 
the  most  ruinous  counsels  prevail  over  his  clear  and 
certain  judgment — was  an  ordeal  to  which  his  moral 
strength  was  fearfully  unequal.  Too  much  outraged  to 
submit  to  the  indignity  offered  to  his  wisdom,  and  yet 
too  proud  to  return  to  his  allegiance  ;  foreseeing  Absa- 
lom's ruin,  and  the  king's  vengeance,  dark  thoughts 
take  possession  of  his  mind ;  and  he  returns  to  his 
home,  not  to  give  vent  to  his  contending  emotions,  nor 
to  brood  in  sullen  silence  over  the  wreck  of  his  proud 
hopes,  but  to  -set  his  house  in  order!"  Strange  that 
the  associations  of  home  did  not  calm  his  troubled 
breast  —  that  the  warm  welcome  and  kindly  words  of 
its  onco-ioved  inmates  did  not  cause  him  to  relent  in 
his  fell  purpose  ;  but  he  was  not  the  man  to  waver,  hav- 
ing once  come  to  a  decision,  much  less  to  draw  back 
from  any  deliberate  resolve.  To  avoid  the  ignomini- 
ous end  of  a  traitor,  he  dies  the  awful  death  of  a  suicide  ! 
Let  not  the  wise  man  glory  in  his  wisdom.  Ahitho- 
phel,  notwithstanding  his  wisdom,  tlicd  as  a  fool  dies. 
His  death  has  been  recorded  as  a  warning  to  all  who 
think,  by  their  own  fnr-sightedness,  to  overreach  God's 


THE    CONSPIRACY    DEFEATED.  133 

providence.  He  who  "  thinks  of  himself  more  highly 
than  he  ought  to  think,"  will  yet  see  another  preferred 
before  him.  He  who  leaves  God  out  of  his  counsels, 
will  in  due  time  be  left  of  God  "to  eat  of  the  fruit  of 
his  own  ways."  Sooner  or  later,  every  Ahithophel  is 
"  snared  in  the  work  of  his  own  hands,"  and  sinks  into 
the  pit  of  his  own  digging. 

Men  may  say  in  their  hearts,  "  There  is  no  God ;" 
or  impiously  inquire,  "What  profit  shall  we  have  if  we 
pray  unto  him  ?"  Still,  God  reigns.  He  will  confound 
the  wisdom  of  the  wise,  humble  the  proud  heart,  and 
overrule  all  evil  counsels  to  the  furtherance  of  his  own 
sovereign  purposes. 

Ahithophel  sought  to  compass  David's  death  ;  but,  in 
so  doing,  dug  his  own  grave.  In  like  manner,  Caiaphas 
conspired  against  the  son  of  David,  and  flattered  him- 
self that  he  had  succeeded  ;  but  that  "  one  man"  who, 
for  expediency's  sake,  "  was  put  to  death  for  the  nation," 
declared  himself  to  be  the  Son  of  God  with  power,  by 
his  rising  from  the  dead.  Yes  ;  he  rose  —  to  pour  shame 
on  the  wisdom  of  the  vSanhedrim,  to  abash  the  lofty  looks 
of  his  enemies,  to  assume  the  sceptre  of  universal  domin- 
ion, to  overturn  and  overrule,  until  "  the  kingdoms  of 
this  world  shall  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord,  and 
of  his  Christ!" 

12 


1-31  THE    PELF-IDOLATER. 


THE  SELF-IDOLATER. 

The  historical  Scriptures  cannot  be  read  with  profit 
unless  the  object  for  which  they  were  written  be  kept 
in  mind  ;  and  this  was,  not  to  gratify  curiosity,  much  less 
to  silence  cavils ;  not  to  transmit  the  knowledge  of  Hebrew 
manners  and  customs,  nor  an  account  of  every  thing  that 
happened  to  the  Hebrews  as  a  people  ;  but  to  record 
only  such  occurrences  as  were  best  adapted  to  illustrate 
the  Divine  authority  of  their  religion, —  to  set  before  them 
an  abstract  of  God's  proceedings ;  and,  in  furnishing 
posterity  with  an  instructive  view  of  the  Divine  attri- 
butes, to  exhibit  in  the  depravity  of  a  miraculously  gov- 
erned and  divinely  instructed  nation,  the  necessity  of 
that  redemption  which  had  been  so  early  promised  by 
the  prophets. 

Though  the  sacred  historians  did  not  derive  from 
Revelation  the  knowledge  of  those  things  which  might 
be  gathered  from  the  common  sources  of  human  intel- 
ligence—  from  public  records  and  authentic  documents  ; 
yet  were  they  restrained  by  God's  spirit  from  registering 
material  error  ;  and,  as  they  had  an  acquaintance  with 
the  counsels  and  designs  of  God,  and  often  revealed 
his  dispensations  in  the  clearest  predictions,  it  follows 
that  they  were  at  times  directly  inspired,  as  they  were 


THE    SELF-IDOLATER. 


4^^ 


always  superintended  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  Hence  their 
unity  of  design  —  the  grand  moral  purpose  of  all  such 
matters  as  they  relate.  Viewed  in  this  light,  each  por- 
tion may  be  rendered  subservient  to  our  spiritual  cul- 
ture ;  and  it  is  with  reference  to  this  that  the  historical 
Scriptures  should  be  read  ;  not  to  detect  flaws  or  urge 
objections;  not  to  display  our  "knowledge  of  science 
falsely  so  called,"  or  to  furnish  ourseh^es  with  weapons 
for  controversy,  much  less  for  uncharitableness  and 
abuse;  but,  as  it  were,  to  ask  one's  self,  "Of  what  sin 
does  this  convince  me  ?  or  against  what  danger  does 
it  warn  me  ?  Is  my  deportment  suitable  to  this  de- 
scription or  good  example  ?  or  do  I  see  myself  here, 
under  another's  name,  reproved  and  condemned  ?  Have 
I  acquired  that  sense  of  my  own  need  of  atoning  blood 
and  sanctifying  grace,  which  the  whole  tenor  of  Scrip- 
ture inculcates  ?  or  am  I  still  inclined  to  stand  or  fall 
by  my  own  righteousness  ?" 

\  iewed  in  any  other  light  than  as  indited  by  God,  or 
separate  from  the  purpose  for  which  they  were  design- 
ed, the  histories  of  the  kings  of  Israel  are  of  no  more 
account  to  us,  than  the  fabulous  reign  of  vSesostris,  or 
the  tales  of  the  Genii.  But  though  God's  voice  in  sacred 
history  may  not  be  heeded,  it  must  be  heard;  though 
the  inspired  record  may  be  degraded  to  a  level  with  na- 
tional annals,  its  fidelity  to  the  workings  of  man's  heart 
and  conscience,  to  the  established  order  of  things  in 
this  world,  to  the  issues  of  human  plans,  and  to  the 
consequences  of  departing  from  God  and  duty,  cannot 
be  intelligently  denied.  The  same  men,  under  other 
names,  exist  now ;  the  same  thinffs,  in   other  relations, 


136  THE    SELF-IDOLATER. 

are  done  now  ;  the  same  changes  in  moral  and  religious 
character  are  now  too  often  seen  ;  and  the  disastrous 
results  of  human  action,  in  any  given  case,  may  always 
be  traced  to  similar  defects  in  principle  or  errors  in  life, 
which  require  no  prophet's  eye  to  detect,  though  to 
expose  which,  a  prophet's  fidelity  be  often  needed. 

But  we  may  not  anticipate  the  relations  to  our  own 
times,  of  Asa's  history.* 

Toward  the  close  of  his  reign,  the  king  of  Israel 
adopted  measures  to  check  the  emigration  of  his  sub- 
jects, and  to  reduce  the  power  of  Judah  ;  and  Asa,  in- 
stead of  deferring  to  the  authority,  and  respecting  the 
providence  of  the  Most  High,  solicited  foreign  aid,  and 
consummated  by  sacrilege  a  treaty  with  an  infidel  king. 
Such  an  act  imperiously  demanded,  and  as  promptly 
received,  the  Divine  rebuke.  But  instead  of  thankful- 
ly receiving  the  admonition  of  God's  faithful  servant, 
Asa  forthwith  imprisoned  Hanani,  and  oppressed  those 
who  ventured  to  show  their  just  disapprobation  of  his 
conduct.  These  acts  bespeak  any  other  views  and  feel- 
ings than  such  as  became  a  man  whom  God  had  placed 
on  the  throne  of  Judah  ;  and  had  we  no  other  informa- 
tion respecting  him,  we  should  conclude  that  he  must 
have  been  maHgnant  in  his  temper  and  despotic  in  his 
measures  —  a  bad  man,  alike  void- of  integrity,  of  can- 
dor, and  of  faith.  This  conclusion  would  seem  to  be  on- 
ly the  more  reasonable,  when  we  found  that  he  had  re- 
ceived his  early  education  from  Maachah,  the  daughter  oi 
a  noted  idolater.  But  no  man  is  to  be  judged  from  any 
one  act ;  much  less  does  any  one  act  justify  a  sweep- 
•  2  Chron.  xvi.  7-14. 


THE    SELF-IDOLATER.  137 

ing  conclusion  against  his  previous  character :  nor  is  it 
consistent  with  the  results  of  observation,  to  argue  too 
positively  from  early  impressions  to  their  ultimate  devel- 
opment in  the  life.  We  know  that  the  tendency  of  a 
good  education  is  too  often  counteracted  by  the  world's 
appeals  to  pride  and  selfishness  ;  and,  on  the  other  hand, 
that  subsequent  religious  instructions  may  more  than 
make  amends  for  early  disadvantages  —  serving,  in  some 
instances,  to  rectify  wrong  views,  and  change  the  heart's 
desires.  Too  much  importance  cannot  be  attached  to 
the  inculcation  of  right  principles  on  the  youthful  mind. 
As  are  the  impressions  of  the  youth,  such  will  be  the 
actions  of  manhood.  This  is  the  general  law  in  the 
formation  of  moral  character,  and  all  exceptions  from  it 
do  but  go  to  show  how  great  must  be  the  power  of  de- 
pravity, when  it  cannot  be  held  in  check  by  the  hallowed 
influences  of  a  religious  education. 

But  notwithstanding  the  untoward  influences  to  which 
his  youth  was  exposed,  Asa,  on  succeeding  to  the  throne 
at  his  father's  death,  was  reputedly  pious.  By  what 
means  he  was  led  to  proper  views  and  sentiments  in 
relation  to  the  divinely  authorized  polity  of  the  Hebrev/ 
nation,  we  are  not  informed  ;  but  it  is  certain  that,  in 
the  transactions  to  Avhich  we  have  referred,  he  acted 
against  his  knowledge  of  God,  against  his  past  belief  in 
Providence,  and  against  his  remarkable  experience  of  the 
Divine  goodness  and  faithfulness  —  contrary,  too,  to  the 
specific  instructions  and  faithful  warnings  which  he  had 
been  wont  to  receive  and  value.  No  one  could  have 
expected  that  he  v>'ould  be  guilty  of  such  conduct,  for 
he  had  been  signally  favored  by  Heaven,  and  eminently 

12* 


138  THE    SELF-IDOLATER. 

prospered  in  all  the  measures  of  his  rule.  He  who  now 
invokes  the  aid  of  Benhadad,  once  called  on  God,  and, 
witli  inferior  forces,  defeated  the  miglity  hosts  of  Zerah  ; 
he  who  now  puts  his  trust  in  an  idolatrous  monarch,  had 
but  lately  caused  his  people  to  enter  with  himself  into  a 
solemn  engagement  on  no  account  whatever  to  forsake 
the  trvie  God,  and  had  even  expelled  his  own  mother 
from  the  court,  because  she  persisted  in  her  idolatrous 
practices  ;  he  who  now  casts  the  bearer  of  God's  reproof 
into  prison,  and  in  the  violence  of  his  temper  oppresses 
his  people,  once  listened  reverently  and  submissively  to 
the  voice  of  the  prophets,  and  exerted  himself  with  sin- 
gular vigor  to  restore  the  worship  of  .Jehovah  to  its 
primitive  magnificence.  Hence  the  futility  of  all  argu- 
ments in  favor  of  one's  innocence,  drawn  from  his  past 
character. 

Asa's  history  furnishes  a  sad  instance  of  flagrant  de^ 
parture  from  the  ways  of  God's  commandments ;  and 
as  such,  demands  serious  reflection  —  even  close  and 
patient  scrutiny  into  its  probable  causes. 

We  are  wont  to  urge  men  to  embrace  religion,  but 
seldom  think  of  the  danger  of  our  ovv^n  relapse  into  the 
ways  of  the  world.  We  are  wisely  solicitous  that  the 
young  should  be  brought  to  the  knowledge  and  belief 
of  the  truth,  but  too  often  neglect  to  caution  the  aged 
against  the  temptations  to  which  they  themselves  are 
exposed. 

By  referring  to  the  record,  it  will  be  perceived  that, 
during  the  greater  part  of  his  reign,  Asa  gave  evidence 
of  being  a  just  prince  and  religious  man.  He  expelled 
the  Sodomites,  and  eradicated  the  vices  which  his  prede- 


THE    SELF-IDOLATER.  139 

cesser  had  sanctioned  in  the  land.  He  abolished  the 
idols,  and  the  altars,  and  the  groves,  belonging  to  the 
high  places,  and  commanded  his  subjects  to  worship  the 
true  God.  Rest  was  given  to  the  land,  and  this  he  im- 
proved in  carrying  on  the  work  of  reformation,  in  forti- 
fying his  frontier  cities,  and  in  raising  a  well-disciplined 
army.  It  might  be  supposed  that  he  was  naturally  led 
to  vaunt  himself  on  his  success,  and  to  rely  on  the  force 
of  his  arms ;  but  we  have  as  yet  no  reason  to  conclude 
that  he  has  forgotten  his  dependence  and  obligations. 
On  the  contrary,  he  deeply  realizes  his  need  of  Divine 
protection,  and  most  humbly  invokes  the  aid  of  Heaven 
before  engaging  in  his  unequal  warfare  with  the  Ethio- 
pian king.  As,  under  that  economy,  the  Divine  favor 
was  always  enjoyed  so  long  as  the  king  retained  his  alle- 
giance, God  crowned  his  arms,  though  greatly  inferior 
in  force  to  those  of  his  enemy,  with  signal  victory  ;  and 
Asa,  on  his  return  to  Jerusalem,  devoted  himself  anew 
to  the  work  of  reformation.  The  things  which  his  father 
had  dedicated,  with  the  greater  part  of  his  late  spoils,  he 
consecrated  to  God  ;  and  having  repaired  the  altar  of 
burnt-offering,  sacrificed  there  all  the  oxen  and  sheep  he 
had  taken  from  the  Ethiopians.  Acting  under  the  in- 
fluence of  Azariah's  charge  to  him  to  be  strong,  he 
ceased  not  in  his  efforts,  until  every  symbol  of  idolatry 
was  swept  from  the  land,  and  the  people  to  a  man  had 
bound  themselves  not  to  forsake  the  Lord  their  God. 
In  consequence  of  this,  Azariah  vras  commissioned  to 
assure  him  of  the  Divine  protection  and  favor,  and  for 
some  years  Judah  enjoyed  a  state  of  profound  peace  : 
the  worship  of  Jehovah  was  maintained  —  his  ordinances 


140  THE    SELF-IDOLATER. 

and  statutes  were  observed  ;  and  so  prosperous  was  the 
land,  that  muhitudes  of  the  pious  Israehtes,  dissatisfied 
with  the  state  of  things  under  their  king  Baasha,  flocked 
over  day  by  day  to  Asa's  dominions. 

In  thus  conducting  himself,  and  promoting  the  inter- 
ests of  religion,  we  admit,  as  is  stated,  that  his  heart  was 
"perfect"  —  that  is,  he  was  sincere;  but,  though  thus 
perfect,  might  not  a  false  zeal  have  mingled  with  his  purer 
impulses,  and  his  work  been  prosecuted  with  too  much 
animal  excitement?  If  so,  there  was  danger  of  a  reac- 
tion, and,  with  a  change  of  circumstances,  he  would 
become  Indifferent  just  in  proportion  to  the  excess  of 
his  zeal ;  and  in  the  absence  of  all  outward  excitements, 
seek  his  pleasure  in  sensual  indulgences.  Amid  the 
repose  and  abundance  of  his  realm,  there  must  have 
been  temptations  to  sloth  and  luxury,  which,  if  not  stead- 
fastly resisted,  would  gradually  impair  his  sense  of 
dependence,  and  inflate  him  with  pride. 

Such  evils  are  wont  to  ensue,  as  over-excitement  in 
well-doing  subsides,  or  success  in  the  work  of  reforma- 
tion gives  rise  to  self-complacency.  Religious  enthusi- 
asm, though  not  at  variance  with  the  most  perfect  sin- 
cerity, is  proverbially  evanescent.  Mere  feeling  may 
be  mistaken  for  principle  ;  and,  when  this  is  the  case,  a 
man  may  become  not  merely  indifferent  to  the  cause 
which  he  had  honestly  espoused  —  he  may  yet  be  seen 
to  undo  all  that  he  had  so  zealously  done.  Thus, 
Joash  lived  to  restore  the  groves  and  the  idols  which 
in  his  zeal  for  reformation  he  had  once  destroyed  ;  and, 
although  Asa  cannot  be  chargeable  with  such  flagrant 
inconsistency,  it  is  obvious  that  he  must  at  last  have 


THE    SELF-IDOLATER.  141 

insensibly  lost  his  horror  of"  idolatry,  or  he  would  not 
have  formed  an  alliance  with  an  idolater,  and  purchased 
his  friendship  at  the  expense  of  the  Lord's  treasures. 

In  like  manner,  whatever  may  be  one's  fervor  of  de- 
votion, or  his  humility  in  times  of  trial,  unless  habitually 
circumspect  and  prayerful,  he  will  not  be  able  to  with- 
stand the  corrupting  influences  of  long-continued  pros- 
perity. Years  had  passed  away  since  the  last  idol  that 
polluted  the  land  had  been  burnt  in  the  valley  of  Hin- 
nom  ;  the  immense  forces  of  Ethiopia  had  been  routed 
r.nd  dispersed  ;  no  enemy  dared  now  to  invade  the  bor- 
ders of  Judah  ;  while,  in  the  meantime,  its  resources  had 
been  developed,  and  its  population  greatly  increased. 
Asa  has  become  a  great  king,  not  less  in  his  own  esti- 
mation than  in  the  view  of  surrounding  nations  —  enti- 
tled to  pre-eminence,  not  less  on  account  of  his  achieve- 
ments at  home  and  abroad,  than  his  hereditary  posses- 
sions and  personal  dignity.  See  how  the  wicked  fear 
him,  and  the  good  praise  him  ;  how  strangers  crowd  his 
presence,  vying  with  each  other  in  every  mark  of  defer- 
ence and  respect ;  how  at  last  sycophants  gain  his  ear 
for  selfish  purposes,  and  flattery  distils  its  poison  into  his 
heart.  Great  king!  the  conscious  favorite  of  both  God 
and  man  !  How  can  God  ever  withdraw  his  protection 
from  one  whom  he  has  so  signally  honored  ?  how  can 
the  people  object  to  any  thing  their  renowned  and  suc- 
cessful sovereign  may  propose  ?  Baasha  has  indeed 
poured  an  army  into  the  country  of  Benjamin,  and 
thinks  to  overawe  Jerusalem  by  the  fort  which  he  has 
suddenly  built  at  so  strong  a  post  as  Ramah  ;  but  Baasha 
is  only  envious  of  his  greatness,  and  Asa  will  defeat  hira 


142  THE    SELF-IDOLATER. 

with  his  own  weapons.  Baasha,  conscious  of  his  own 
weakness,  has  secured  by  treaty  the  aid  of  Benhadad, 
the  king  of  Syria ;  but  Asa  will  show  his  sagacity  in 
breaking  that  treaty,  and  in  securing  to  himself  the 
Syrian  arms.  The  arms  of  an  idolater  may  be  turned 
against  so  idolatrous  and  wicked  a  king  as  Baasha ;  and 
if  Benhadad  can  be  conciliated,  and  his  friendship  se- 
cured, he  himself  may  yet  throw  away  his  idols.  Thus, 
in  the  pride  of  his  heart,  might  Asa  have  reasoned  ;  and 
when  such  ends  were  to  be  answered,  the  treasures  of 
the  Lord's  house  might  be  not  injudiciously  appropri- 
ated !  Self,  however,  was  at  the  bottom  of  his  move- 
ment, not  the  glory  of  God  —  self,  which  sought  to  de- 
monstrate to  an  envious  neighbor  the  superior  tact  and 
resources  of  Judah's  king ;  self,  which  now  so  often 
seeks  its  gratification  at  the  expense  of  truth  and  right. 
There  can  be  no  surer  criterion  of  self-idolatry  than  to 
act  irrespectively  of  God  and  duty.  Though  good  ends 
may  be  proposed,  the  use  of  exceptionable  means  be- 
trays a  heart  devoid  of  confidence  in  God's  providence, 
and  all  deference  to  the  authority  of  his  law.  Asa  had 
dethroned  all  the  gods  of  wood  and  stone ;  but  he  has 
come  at  last  to  bow  down  to  an  image  which  is  enshrined 
in  the  recesses  of  his  own  bosom.  He  will  wage  war 
in  union  with  an  idolater,  for  that  wicked  king  Baasha 
has  insulted  the  majesty  of  his  own  proud  image  !  Suc- 
cess will  ratify  the  wisdom  of  Asa's  policy,  justify  his 
sacrilegious  act,  impress  the  terrors  of  his  arms,  and 
extend  the  limits  of  his  beneficent  rule  ! 

But  the  sequel  proves  that  success  is  no  criterion  of 
fight.     Instigated  by  the  valuable   presents  which  he 


THE    SELF-IDOLATER.  143 

received  from  Asa,  and  by  the  hopes  of  extending  his 
power,  Benhadad  forthwith  invaded  the  northern  parts 
of  Baasha's  kingdom,  and  compelled  several  cities  to 
surrender  ;  while  Asa,  from  the  south,  retook  Ramah, 
and,  with  the  very  materials  which  Baasha  had  em- 
ployed to  fortify  it,  fortified  for  himself  Geba  and  west- 
ern Mizpah.  Such  a  movement  proves  that  Asa  was  a 
man  of  no  ordinary  forethought  and  energy  ;  and,  did 
we  not  know  to  the  contrary,  we  might  infer,  from  the 
favorable  opening  of  the  campaign,  that  God  had  not 
disapproved  of  the  measures  which  Asa  had  taken  to 
defeat  his  enemy.  But  the  fact  that  Hanani,  by  Divine 
direction,  sharply  rebuked  him  for  his  treacherous  appli- 
cation for  heathenish  aid,  and  the  profane  use  which  he 
had  made  of  the  consecrated  treasures,  proves  that  the 
enjoyment  of  outward  good  is  no  evidence  of  Heaven's 
approbation.  Men  may  prosper  in  their  unhallowed 
gains,  rise  to  the  world's  high  places,  or  revel  in  luxury 
and  roll  on  the  wheels  of  splendor;  but  their  violations 
of  truth  and  honesty,  their  intrigues  and  slanders,  and 
selfish  use  of  those  talents  which  belong  to  God,  are  all 
marked  against  them  in  the  book  of  his  remembrance, 
and  will  one  day  be  brought  home  to  their  guilty  bo- 
soms. Had  Asa  been  defeated  in  battle,  he  would  have 
admitted  the  justness  of  the  prophet's  rebuke  ;  but  he 
was  exulting  in  the  issues  of  his  treaty  :  and  the  fact  that 
God  had  prospered  him  in  his  aims,  seemed  to  give  a 
practical  refutation  to  the  prophet's  charge,  and  to  place 
him  in  the  attitude  of  a  pragmatical  and  censorious  man. 
No  men  in  their  thoughts  and  actions  are  further  from 
God,  yet  none  oftener  presume  on  his  favor,,  than  they 


144  THE    SELF-IDOLATER. 

who  have  succeeded  in  their  ambitious  or  avaricious 
aims.  It  is  their  success  that  infatuates  them,  render- 
ing them  insensible  to  their  sins,  and  proof  against  con- 
viction. 

Success  even  in  a  good  work  may  be  as  hazardous  to 
rehgious  character  as  in  any  worldly  concerns.  That 
honor  which  belongs  to  Him  "  from  whom  all  just  works 
do  proceed,"  may  be  virtually  appropriated  by  the  man 
himself:  spiritual  pride  sets  in  to  vitiate  singleness  of 
purpose,  and  remissness  follows,  to  end  in  apathy  or  in 
selfish  indulgences.  The  greater  his  success,  the  greater 
his  danger,  and  the  more  need  for  watchfulness  against 
the  suggestions  of  a  proud  and  deceitful  heart ;  nor  is 
there  any  more  insidious  foe  to  personal  piety  than  per- 
sonal popularity  in  God's  service.  It  is  familiar  to 
observation,  that  but  few  are  able  to  withstand  the  com- 
bined influence  of  success  in  their  efforts  and  attention 
to  their  persons.  The  lamentable  effect  is  visible  in 
a  change  of  address,  if  not  change  of  living,  until 
self-confidence  and  self-esteem  sanction  exceptionable 
means  ;  or  the  proud,  imperious  will  betrays  itself  in 
the  man's  scorn  of  reproof  Asa's  unbounded  success, 
and  the  flattering  attentions  which  he  received  from  the 
pious  Israelites,  more  than  any  other  causes,  led  him  to 
forget  his  dependence  and  obligations  ;  and  in  this  re- 
spect his  history  is  fraught  with  solemn  lessons  to  every 
one  whom  (iod  has  raised  to  an  honored  pre-eminence 
in  his  service. 

It  is  strange,  we  think,  that  he  could  have  lost  sight 
of  the  deliverances  which  he  had  experienced  —  of  the 
outstretched  arm  that  had  aided  him  in  achievinc:  the 


THE    SELF-IDOLATER.  146 

victory  over  his  numerous  enemies,  and  in  effecting  so 
great  a  reformation  among  his  people :  but  it  is  not  so 
remarkable  as  that  Hezekiah  should  have  been  actually 
proud  of  the  miracles  wrought  in  his  behalf;  and,  in- 
stead of  declaring  the  praises  of  God  before  Baladan's 
messengers,  so  far  forgotten  himself,  through  their  flat- 
tering attentions  to  him,  as  vainly  to  show  them  every 
thing  rare  and  valuable  in  his  treasures.  So  have  I 
seen  a  man  displaying  self,  when  he  should  have  been 
a  true  witness  for  God  —  parading  his  intellectual  trin- 
kets to  gratify  personal  vanity,  when  he  should  have 
been  true  to  the  hearts  and  consciences  of  his  admirers, 
that  he  might  save  their  souls  from  death  !  Are  such 
circumstances  too  trifling  to  notice? — Asa  involved 
himself  in  unceasing  wars  ;  Hezekiah  brought  on  him- 
self and  his  subjects  the  wrath  of  the  Lord ;  Uzziah,  for 
the  sin  of  displaying  self  in  the  temple  of  the  Lord,  was 
smitten  with  the  le[)rosy  :  and  where  is  the  man,  whom 
the  pride  of  success  or  of  popular  favor  infatuates,  that 
shall  not  yet  be  rebuked  by  Providence,  or  brought  to 
humble  himself  before  God  for  his  idolatry  of  self? 

But  when  one  is  seen  to  fall  from  the  standard  of 
truth  and  duty  which  he  had  proposed  to  himself,  or  to 
counteract  the  work  to  which  he  was  ostensibly  devoted, 
we  may  not  respond  to  the  harsh  judgment  of  the  world, 
and  denounce  him  as  a  hypocrite.  He  may  have  mis- 
taken animal  feelings  for  the  influence  of  the  Spirit — 
his  love  of  action  and  excitement  for  the  love  of  truth 
and  duty  —  and  deceived  himself,  without  being  con- 
scious of  any  wrong  views ;  or,  not  being  on  his  guard 
against  his  besetting    sins  (his  pride  and  vanity,  or  his 

13 


146  THE    SELF-IDOLATER. 

love  of  self-indulgence)  he  may  have  been  led  away 
before  he  was  aware  of  his  danger.  x\sa  was  never  per- 
fect, that  is,  free  from  sin:  in  this  sense  the  word  is  not 
scripturally  employed ;  but  he  was  sincere,  and  in  this 
respect  "  his  heart  was  perfect  all  his  days."  He  was 
opposed  to  the  worship  of  any  but  the  true  God,  and 
would  suffer  no  idol  to  pollute  the  land  ;  and  it  is  sup- 
posable  that  he  might  have  presumed  on  the  ground  of 
his  work,  and  making  a  merit  of  his  devotion  to  the  in- 
terests of  true  religion,  been  led,  through  the  deceitful- 
ness  of  sin,  to  think  that,  by  purchasing  Benhadad's 
friendship,  which  seemed  so  essential  to  the  effective 
defence  of  his  land  from  the  invasion  of  an  idolater,  he 
should  not  incur  the  Divine  displeasure. 

It  is  natural  to  men  to  offset  the  discharge  of  one 
duty  against  the  neglect  of  another  ;  to  rely  on  the  Divine 
favor,  in  consequence  of  having  once  done  well  —  per- 
haps performed  a  great  work  !  though  they  may  now  be 
conforming  to  the  ways  of  the  world  and  countenancing 
its  errors.  Such,  however,  are  not  hypocrites.  No  one 
justly  merits  this  opprobrious  epithet  who  does  not 
knowingly  avail  himself  of  religious  usages  for  selfish 
purposes  —  or  intentionally,  for  the  sake  of  either  repu- 
tation or  gain,  assume  an  appearance  in  public  which 
his  private  life  belies.  Yet  a  sincere  man  will  have  his 
imperfections  —  as  Asa,  notwithstanding  his  zealous  de- 
votion to  the  true  religion,  permitted  the  "  high  places" 
to  remain  ;  nor  in  his  backslidings  may  one  be  less  sin- 
cere in  his  view  of  essential  truth,  and  in  his  professed 
attachment  to  the  church  of  God.  This  very  conscious- 
ness of  sincerity  may  often  facilitate  self-deception  ;  and 


THE    SELF-IDOLATER.  147 

in  no  other  way  can  we  account  for  the  anomaly  of  an 
orthodox  head  and  a  heterodox  Hfe.  The  hypocrite 
could  not  fail  to  condemn  and  loathe  himself,  were  not 
his  heart  hardened  ;  but  the  backslider,  by  hoodwinking 
his  conscience,  contrives  to  hope. 

It  is  painfully  evident  that,  without  formally  casting 
olF  their  allegiance  to  God,  men  may  depart  from  him 
in  spirit.  To  this  end  worldly  prosperity  especially 
contributes,  and  hence  it  is  so  hazardous  to  the  integrity 
of  Christian  faith  and  practice.  It  is  not  uncommon  for 
men,  as  they  rise  in  the  world,  to  lose  sight  of  Him  to 
whom  they  owe  the  success  of  their  secular  underta- 
kings—  tluis  conforming  more  and  more  to  the  ways  of 
the  world,  though  flattering  themselves  that  they  are 
true  to  the  church ;  conciliating  the  friendship  of  the 
world  at  the  expense  of  Christian  principles,  and  for 
selfish  ends  contracting  alliances  without  regard  to  the 
will  of  God  or  the  honor  of  religion.  There  is  no 
longer  any  prayerful  deference  to  God,  or  confidence  in 
his  word,  much  less  an  eye  single  to  his  glory  ;  though 
his  name  may  still  be  named,  and  the  ordinances  of  his 
house  formally  observed.  Thus,  self  becomes  the  gov- 
erning principle,  and  a  worldly  policy  the  rule  of  life. 
Thus,  religious  character  undergoes  an  essential  change, 
until  it  is  difficult  to  admit  that  he  who  now  gives  forth 
all  the  evidences  of  self-idolatry,  was  once  an  humble 
worshipper  of  God  —  this  proud  and  politic  world- 
ling, once  a  zealous  reformer,  perhaps  a  burning  revi- 
valist ! 

Those  very  prosperous  circumstances  in  which  the 
man  is  placed,  and  which  should  render  him  the  more 


148  THE    SELF-IDOLATER. 

grateful  and  humble,  often  serve  only  to  minister  to  the 
heart's  native  passions,  until  self  becomes  arbitrary  and 
imperious.  Who  could  have  thought  that  the  king  who, 
in  his  extremity,  had  so  humbly  called  on  God,  would, 
in  his  prosperity,  act  independently  of  God  ?  who  once 
solicitously  inquired  the  path  of  duty,  would  at  last 
resent  the  least  intimation  of  his  sin  ?  who  once  ban- 
ished from  his  realm  every  idolatrous  priest,  would,  in 
his  rage,  imprison  a  prophet  of  the  Lord  for  simply 
reminding  him  of  God's  forgotten  mercies  and  faithful 
promises  ? 

So  great  a  king  was  not  to  be  reproved  by  any  man  ; 
not  even  by  a  prophet  of  the  Lord  !  And  thus  it  is, 
that  they  who  have  been  uplifted  by  prosperity,  and  who 
consequently  idolize  themselves,  can  endure  no  opposi- 
tion, much  less  brook  reproof.  Flatter  such  you  may, 
and  you  will  be  their  friend  ;  but  to  reprove  such,  or 
even  to  venture  a  wise  caution,  a  timely  suggestion  for 
their  good,  is  to  be  regarded  as  their  enemy.  This  is 
known  to  be  the  case ;  and  hence,  men  who  have  been 
raised  by  Providence  from  circumstances  of  poverty  or 
obscurity,  and  who  now  stand  high  in  affluence  or  in 
honor,  are  seldom  told  their  faults.  But  few  will  ven- 
ture on  the  perilous  errand  of  faithful  Christian  rebuke; 
because  they  who  do,  oftener  than  otherwise,  meet  with 
the  reception  that  Hanani  did  from  the  king — 'Who 
are  you  to  reflect  on  my  character  and  course  ?  I  Ttiiow 
the  estimation  in  which  I  am  held.  Behold  my  success. 
See  how  many  have  sought  my  patronage,  and  what  al- 
liances I  have  formed  !  It  is  the  suggestion  of  envy, 
or  the  charge  of  malice.'     So   true  is  it,  that  no  man 


THE    SELF-IDOLATER.  149 

idolizes  iself  more   than  he  who   resents   Christian   re- 
proof for  his  sins. 

But  he  who  sins  against  the  light  of  truth,  and  re- 
jects admonitory  counsel,  will  probably  be  left  to  him- 
self. The  king  is  not  ignorant  that  God  governs  the 
world  in  wisdom  ;  that  all  his  creatures,  in  all  places 
of  his  dominions,  are  under  his  immediate  inspection; 
that  he  orders  and  will  overrule  all  things  for  "  Jacob 
his  servant's  sake,  and  Israel  his  elect."  He  has  even 
known  from  his  own  experience,  that  God  will  show 
himself  strong  in  behalf  of  those  whose  hearts  are  up- 
right before  him  ;  but  now  he  leans  to  his  own  under- 
standing, and  relies  on  an  arm  of  flesh,  practically  re- 
nouncing his  belief  in  God's  universal  providence  ; 
and,  more  than  all,  will  not  allow  a  prophet  of  the  Lord 
to  interfere  with  his  worldly  purposes. 

But  shall  not  the  judgments  of  Heaven  bring  him  to  a 
sense  of  his  sin  and  folly?  We  have  no  reason  to  sup- 
pose that  the  wars  which  the  prophet  denounced  against 
him,  and  in  which  he  was  involved  for  years,  might  have 
led  him  to  reflect  on  the  past,  and  penitently  return  in 
heart  to  God.  What  would  have  been  the  issue  of  his 
conflicts  with  Baasha  we  cannot  say  ;  but  he  is  now  to 
be  arrested  in  his  selfish  schemes  and  godless  battles. 
The  time  is  at  hand  when  he  must  bid  farewell  to  his 
greatness,  and  close  his  eyes  on  the  scene  of  his  pride. 
The  repeated  assaults  of  a  mysterious  disease  are  fast 
making  their  way  to  the  citadel  of  his  heart.  Asa  is 
stretched  in  agony  on  his  dying  bed  !  And  do  not 
abused  mercies  and  neglected  warnings  and  excuseless 
sins  rush  to  his  remembrance  ?  Does  he  not  send  for 
1-3* 


150  THE    SELF-IDOLATER. 

the  injured  prophet,  and  entreat  his  forgivenes*,  and  an 
interest  in  his  prayers?  Is  he  not  reminded  in  this 
the  hour  of  his  dire  extretpity,  that  no  being  in  the  uni- 
verse can  help  him,  save  tliat  God  who  listened  to  his 
cry,  when  the  huge  hosts  of  the  Lubims  threatened  to 
swallow  up  his  kingdom  ?  All  that  man  can  do  for  him 
his  physicians  are  now  doing ;  and  does  he  not  even 
look  unto  God  to  direct  and  bless  human  means  for  his 
recovery  ?  No  ;  even  in  his  last  hour  he  relied  not  on 
God.  He  who  put  his  trust  in  Benhadad,  now  puts  his 
trust  in  his  physicians.  There  is  no  intimation  that  he 
repented  and  was  pardoned,  as  in  the  case  of  David  ; 
or  that  he  cried  unto  God  when  brought  down  to  the 
gate  of  death,  as  in  the  case  of  Hezekiah.  All  that  is 
said  of  him  is  that  "  he  put  his  trust  in  his  physicians." 
There  is  a  significancy  in  this,  which  renders  comment 
almost  unnecessary.  He  put  his  trust  in  his  physicians 
—  that  is,  in  man,  not  in  God.  That  God,  in  whose 
service  he  had  been  employed  and  honored  —  who  had 
so  greatly  prospered  and  enriched  his  country;  inter- 
posed for  his  deliverance  from  the  power  of  a  ruthless 
enemy  ;  sent  his  prophet  in  all  kindness  to  expostulate 
with  him  ;  and  even  aimed  by  his  judgments  to  bring 
him  to  a  penitent  sense  of  his  sin  —  that  God,  for  whose 
sake  he  himself  had  abolished  all  false  gods,  and  with 
whom  he  had  once  compelled  his  people  to  enter  into 
covenant  —  is  left  out  of  view,  as  though  he  had  been  an 
ideal  being,  and  had  no  control  over  life  and  death. 
In  his  last  hour  Asa  knew  no  God  but  self.  Perhaps 
his  physicians  burned  incense  to  his  idol ;  and,  by  flat- 
tering his  vanity,  blinded  him  to  his  condition.     Be  this 


THE    SELF-IDOLATER.  tBl 

as  it  may,  he  died  trusting  in  them.     This  was  his  last 
act! 

Thus  die  the  wicked  —  their  last  act,  their  last  utter- 
ance, their  last  thought,  is  sin  !     And   are  we  to   con- 
clude that  when  a  man  becomes  estranged  from  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  gospel,  loses  all  that  is  spiritual  in  religion, 
gives  himself  up  to  the  devices  and  desires  of  his  own 
heart,  and  dies  in  his  impenitence,  that  he  will  be  made 
holy  at  death  ?      This  is  the  prevalent  impression  ;  but 
it  is  no  less  unphilosophical  than  unscriptural.     What 
greater  absurdity  can  there  be,  tlian  to  suppose  that  the 
dissolution  of  the  body  regenerates  the  soul  ?     As  well 
conclude  that  the  putting  off  our  clothes  at  night  chan- 
ges our  physical  nature.     But  as  we  awake  from  natu- 
ral sleep  to  revolve  again  the  thoughts  and  to  renew  the 
devices  of  yesterday,  so  shall  we   awake  in  eternity  to 
the  consciousness  of  having  the  same  character  which 
we  sustained  in  time  ;  with  this  difference  only,  that 
our  thoughts  and  feelings  will  then  be   inconceivably 
vivid,  and   that  we  shall   find  nothing  there  as  here  to 
blind  our  eye  to  the  true  character  of  our   moral  self. 
Character   at  death,  is  character   for  eternity.      Amid 
the  scenes  and  interests  of  earth,  man  may  exclude  the 
thought  of  God  and  retribution  ;  but  to  die  is  to  be  dis- 
abused of  all  false  impressions,  divested  of  all  the  infat- 
uations of  self-love,  denuded  of  all  but  conscience  !  to 
die,  is  to  burst  on  the  feeling  of  unmingled  good,  or  of 
unmitigated  evil — to  be  conscious  of  nothing  but  the 
presence  of  God  as  our  friend,  or  our  enemy  —  it  is 
heaven  or  licll  to  the  soul  ! 

But  notwithstanding  the  exceptionable  and  sinful  acts 


152  THE    SELF-IDOLATER. 

of  his  reign,  though  the  manner  in  which  he  died  was 
equivalent  to  a  practical  renunciation  of  that  religion 
which  he  had  at  first  labored  with  so  much  diligence  to 
re-establish,  yet  the  people  did  honor  to  his  remains, 
and  buried  him  with  great  pomp  and  ceremony.  Had 
he  been  as  holy  a  man  as  he  was  a  great  prince,  they 
could  have  done  no  more  to  testify  their  appreciation 
of  his  reign,  and  their  respect  for  his  memory.  His 
treacherous  alliance  was  nothing  to  them,  so  long  as  Asa 
returned  victorious  ;  his  treatment  of  the  prophet,  and 
of  those  who  sympathized  with  the  prophet,  of  no  con- 
sequence, while  their  private  interests  were  not  affected. 

Thus  judges  the  world  ;  whatever  a  man's  character, 
though  it  may  have  been  at  variance  with  truth  and 
righteousness,  if  he  had  only  distinguished  himself,  they 
will  gather  around  his  bier  in  all  the  imposing  pageant- 
ry of  grief.  No  inference,  therefore,  in  favor  of  one's 
future  condition,  can  be  drawn  from  the  manner  in  which 
he  was  interred.  Where  man  has  erected  a  mausoleum, 
God  may  have  written  I-chabod  ! 

Every  man  should  have  a  grave,  as  v/ell  as  a  house  ; 
and  so  live  as  to  be  always  prepared  for  death,  and  that, 
at  death,  his  remains  may  be  carried  to  their  last  home, 
not  in  pomp,  but  in  sorrow.  But  Asa  digged  a  sepul- 
chre for  himself;  and  it  is  not  improbable,  left  direc- 
tions that  he  should  be  interred  after  the  magnificent 
manner  of  the  Gentiles,  and  not  after  the  way  of  the 
Jews.  If  so,  he  was  not  singular  ;  others  have  done 
the  same  to  gratify  their  vanity,  and  distinguish  their 
remains  from  vulgar  earth.  The  same  vain  regard  for 
posthumous  display  is  still  extant.     It  provides  for  the 


THE    SELF-IDOLATER.  ]  53 

splendid  funeral  and  magnificent  tomb  ;  —  forgetful  of 
the  solemn  truth,  that,  though  the  body  may  be  em- 
balmed, the  soul  may  not  be  saved  ;  though  it  may  be 
encased  in  costly  work,  and  let  down  into  the  grave 
amid  the  gaze  of  the  world,  it  may  rise  at  last  "  to  the 
resurrection  of  damnation  !" 


154  FACTITIOUS    RELIGION. 


FACTITIOUS  RELIGION. 

The  Bible  is  a  book  of  principles  :  it  furnishes  us 
with  the  elements  of  truth,  and  with  the  motives  to 
duty  —  so  that,  as  rational  and  accountable  beings,  we 
may  be  controlled  by  principle,  and  always  able  to  as- 
sign a  reason  for  the  sentiments  we  adopt,  and  the  course 
we  pursue.  It  recognises  no  religion  that  springs  not 
from  "  a  new  heart  and  a  right  spirit,"  and  promises 
rewards  only  to  those  whose  perseverance  "  in  every 
good  word  and  work"  unto  the  end,  gives  assurance 
that,  in  commencing  a  religious  life,  they  were  neither 
deluded  in  their  views,  precipitate  in  their  decision,  nor 
reserved  in  the  devotement  of  themselves  to  God's  ser- 
vice. 

There  is  a  wide  difference  in  the  circumstances  in 
which  men  are  placed  —  in  their  educational  advantages 
and  natural  temperaments,  and,  by  consequence,  in  their 
besetting  sins  and  individual  temjDtations  :  still,  the  cri- 
teria of  true  religious  principles  are  essentially  the 
same.  Nor  does  religious  character  in  all  ao-es  and 
conditions  invariably  present  the  same  phase.  It  is  at 
one  time  contemplative,  and  then  active  ;  here  cheer- 
ful and  hopeful,  there  melancholy  and  desponding  ; 
here  elevated  by  noble  thoughts  and  generous  doings, 
ihere  contracted  by  ignorance  and  deformed  by  bigotry  ; 


FACTITIOUS    RELIGTOX.  155 

now  revealing  the  mastery  of  the  spirit  over  the  flesh, 
and  again  so  hlending  in  its  features  with  the  lineaments 
of  the  world,  that,  as  with  the  colors  of  the  rainbow,  we 
find  it  difficult  to  separate  or  distinguish  the  one  from 
the  other :  nevertheless,  all  essential  defects  in  rehgious 
character,  as  well  as  all  instances  of  backsliding  and 
apostasy,  sj)ri>ig  fro7n  the  heart ;  for  out  of  it  "proceed 
evil  thoughts,  murders,  adulteries,  fornications,  thefts, 
false  witness,  blasphemies,"  and  out  of  it  "  are  the  issues 
of  hfe." 

As  "  in  Christ  Jesus,  neither  circumcision  availeth 
any  thing,  nor  uncircumcision,  but  a  7iew  creature,^^  so 
he  alone  was  truly  a  Jew  who  was  one,  not  outwardly, 
hut  inwardly.  As  all  true  religion  is  now  directly  trace- 
able to  regeneration,  so  was  it,  under  the  Old-Testament 
dispensation,  to  "  the  circumcision  of  the  heart."  We 
are  not  called  on  to  examine  ourselves  with  a  view  to 
ascertaining  whether  we  have  conformed  to  the  letter  of 
the  law,  but  "  whether  we  be  in  the  faith  ;"  for  "  with  the 
heart  man  believeth  unto  righteousness."  Nor  are  we 
cautioned  against  the  neglect  of  days  and  ceremonies, 
but  against  "  an  evil  heart  of  unbelief,  in  departing  from 
the  living  God  :"  an  evU  Ik  art,  this  constitutes  the  great 
obstacle  in  the  way  of  becoming  religious  —  the  source 
of  self-deceptions  and  hypocrisy  —  the  cause  of  incon- 
sistencies, declensions,  and  apostasies.  It  may  be  re- 
tained while  the  mind  is  receivins;  the  ideas  of  a  relio;ious 
education,  and  conforming  to  all  ceremonial  enactments 
—  amid  works  of  charity  and  zeal  for  religion,  and  all 
due  deference  to  the  ordinances  of  the  church  and  the 
authority  of  her  ministers.     It  may  not  preclude  useful- 


156  FACTITIOUS    RELIGION. 

ness  and  honor  in  the  cause  of  the  church.  The  world 
may  never  know  that  he  wlio  seems  so  devoted  is  not 
in  sincerity  and  truth  a  believer ;  he  himself,  through 
self-ignorance,  may  not  suspect  that  his  is  still  an  evil 
heart  of  unbelief;  nor  may  he  be  aware  of  it  until  it  is 
too  late  :  he  may  even  carry  it  with  him  to  the  grave, 
and  not  until  the  day  of  judgment  will  he  know  that  he 
had  only  deceived  himself!  All  were  not  Israel  who 
were  of  Israel :  all  are  not  the  disciples  of  Christ,  though 
they  may  "  eat  and  drink  in  his  presence,  and  do  many 
wonderful  works." 

The  more  prominent  one  may  be  in  religious  matters, 
the  greater  the  danger  of  his  being  deceived  by  this  evil 
heart ;  and  so  long  as  he  retains  his  position  and  his 
associates,  he  may  go  on  in  well-doing,  but  a  change  of 
circumstances  may  bring  about  a  change  in  the  outward 
man.  Were  this  not  so,  the  gospel  had  not  been  so 
emphatic  in  its  cautions  to  all,  without  distinction,  against 
"  the  deceitfulness  of  sin  :"  and  that  we  are  not  mista- 
ken in  our  view  of  that  heart-religion  which  the  New 
Testament  inculcates,  is  evident  from  the  record  with 
which  tlie  Old  Testament  furnishes  us,  of  the  lives  of 
men  who,  on  the  one  hand,  secured  God's  acceptance, 
and,  on  the  other,  incurred  his  displeasure. 

In  the  fancied  superiority  of  their  own  intellectual 
attainments,  some  may  consider  it  as  nothing  more  than 
a  record  of  deeds  which  denote  an  ignorant,  obstinate, 
and  superstitious  people  ;  still,  it  is  a  truthful  and  faith- 
ful history  of  human  nature  —  and  hence  invaluable  as 
a  guide  in  all  our  religious  and  ethical  inquiries,  and 
indispensable  to  a  true  knowledge  of  ourselves.     Nor 


FACTITIOUS    RELIGION.  167 

let  it  be  thought,  as  infidelity  has  insinuated,  that  it  is  a 
monotonous  record  of  acts  void  of  interest  to  the  present 
age,  and  of  characters  that  differed  in  no  essential  points 
of  view.  Nowhere  can  greater  variety  in  character  be 
found,  not  excepting  the  dramatis  jicrsnnce  of  Shakspere 
himself;  nor  is  there  an  individual,  at  the  present  day, 
who  has  not  his  prototype  in  the  historical  Scriptures. 
Even  Shakspere  was  indebted  to  his  acquaintance  with 
the  Scriptures,  not  less  than  to  his  own  observations,  for 
his  knowledge  of  human  nature.  He  will,  indeed,  give 
us  a  knowledge  of  the  world  in  all  its  glory  and  in  all 
its  littleness,  its  honesty  and  its  tricks,  its  loves  and 
hates,  its  joys  and  sorrows,  its  follies  and  foibles ;  he 
will  throw  a  spell  around  our  hearts,  and  lead  us  to  look 
on  one  another,  and  on  all  the  men  and  women  in  the 
world,  as  but  players  :  but  to  the  Bible  must  we  go  to 
behold  ourselves  as  we  are,  and  life  as  it  is,  in  solemn 
earnest — something  more  than  a  dumb-show,  and  men 
something  higher  than  pii^pets  —  nothing  less,  in  fact, 
than  actors  in  a  stupendous  drama,  which  has  its  issues, 
not  when  the  drop-curtain  of  death  falls,  but  when  the 
trumiict  sounds  to  summon  man  to  judgment. 

Here,  as  in  a  mirror,  may  we  see  the  part  which  we 
are  individually  acting,  the  interest  we  are  to  secure, 
the  changes  we  are  undergoing,  and  the  dangers  to  which 
we  are  exposed.  There  are  men  now,  who  answer  to 
the  prophets  and  to  the  kings  of  old  ;  places  and  objects 
now,  corresponding  to  the  unhallowed  groves  and  the 
accursed  idols :  there  is,  too,  the  murder  of  the  heart, 
which  is  the  counterpart  to  the  murder  of  a  prophet ; 

14 


15S  FACTITIOUS    RELIGIO!^. 

and  there  is  a  death  shadowed  forth  by  the  end  of  a  life 
which  had  been  forfeited  by  sin. 

Hence  the  interest  and  importance  that  belong  to  the 
history  of  Joash.*  He  had  been  brought  up  under  cir- 
cumstances most  favorable  to  the  culture  of  early  piety  ; 
and  it  was  to  be  expected,  from  the  instructions  he  re- 
ceived, and  the  example  set  before  him,  that  he  would 
take  a  deep  interest  in  his  people,  and  aim  to  promote 
their  welfare  by  restoring  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and 
reviving  the  temple- service,  which  had  been  sadly 
neglected  during  the  period  of  Athaliah's  usurpation. 
Though  very  young,  he  had  an  intelligent  appreciation 
of  the  great  ends  of  his  government,  and  brought  to  the 
accomplishment  of  his  measures  an  energy  that  com- 
manded respect,  and  a  zeal  that  argued  triumphant  suc- 
cess. His  were  no  ordinary  qualifications  for  the  duties 
of  his  reign  ;  and  the  manner  in  which  he  effected  his 
object,  shows  that  he  was  not  less  sagacious  and  honest 
than  active  and  influential.  His  was  the  master-spirit 
of  the  age,  acting  on  lethargic  minds  —  impatient  of  de- 
lay, devising  new  plans,  stimulating  curiosity,  causing 
an  excitement  through  the  land,  until  every  man  was 
forward  to  contribute,  and  every  workman  eager  to  do 
his  part. 

The  work  of  repairing  the  temple  was  nobly  done, 
though  paid  for  in  advance ;  and  the  money,  over  and 
above  what  the  workmen  deemed  a  just  compensation 
for  their  labors,  was  refunded,  and  converted  into  suita- 
ble vessels  for  the  house  of  the  Lord  —  an  instance  which 
has  few  parallels.     Men  are  seldom  forward  to  contrib- 

•  2  Chron.,  chap.  xxiv. 


FACTITIOUS    RELIGION.  159 

lite,  except  for  their  own  pleasure  ;  and  rarely  think 
themselves  overpaid  for  their  services  —  especially  those 
intrusted  with  the  public  treasure,  or  in  any  way  em- 
ployed by  the  government. 

But  thus  auspicious  was  the  beginning  of  his  reign  : 
"  .Toash  did  that  which  was  right  in  the  sight  of  the 
Lord."  And  who  that  witnessed  his  deeds,  would  not 
have  concluded  that  he  was  truly  a  religious  prince? 
How  remiss  and  indifferent  did  all  the  priests  and  Le- 
vites  seem  in  comparison  with  Joash  !  how  much  more 
strenuous  and  zealous  in  his  efforts  to  repair  the  temple 
than  Jehoiada  himself!  The  old  counsellor  was  too 
tardy  for  the  young  king,  and  in  his  view  merited  at 
least  a  gentle  rebuke  ! — just  as  the  youthful  convert  in 
our  day  cannot  conceal  his  surprise  at  the  seeming  in- 
efficiency of  those  whose  sole  business  it  is  to  repair  the 
waste  places  in  Zion  ! 

But  .Tehoiada  had  lived  too  long  not  to  be  able  to 
discriminate  between  acerbity  of  temper  and  the  impa- 
tience of  an  ardent  temperament;  and  so  long  as  he 
lived,  Joash  complied  with  the  Divine  requirements, 
and  all  things  contributed  to  establish  his  government, 
and  secure  the  growing  prosperity  of  his  people.  Nor 
is  it  singular  that  .lehoiada's  influence  should  have  been 
so  great  over  the  youthful  king.  He  was  no  ordinary 
man  —  no  less  remarkable  for  his  wisdom  than  his  years. 
Having  attained  his  hundred  and  thirtieth  year,  he  em- 
bodied the  history  of  six  successive  reigns.  He  could 
speak  of  what  he  had  both  seen  and  heard  of  the  glory 
of  Solomon,  and  of  the  idols  of  Jeroboam;  of  the  gra- 
cious works  of  Elijah,  and  the  bloody  deeds  of  Athaliah ; 


160  FACTITIOUS    RELIGION. 

yet  amid  all  the  changes  and  evils  which  had  occurred 
in  Judah  from  the  days  of  Solomon  to  Joash,  he  had 
remained  true  to  God.  Great  and  good  man!  amid 
such  varied  scenes,  neither  seduced  by  flattering  prom- 
ises, nor  intimidated  by  royal  threats ;  neither  uplifted 
by  success,  nor  depressed  by  adversity  ;  conniving  at 
no  evil,  and  neglecting  no  opportunity  of  doing  good  — 
at  once  pure  in  life,  strong  in  faith,  and  steady  in  prin- 
ciple, he  received  from  the  priesthood  not  less  than  from 
the  people  the  reverence  due  to  exalted  worth  and  be- 
neficent services.  What  is  the  glory  of  crowns  com- 
pared with  the  lustre  of  such  a  character?  what  the 
honor  of  warriors  triumphing  in  successive  battles  over 
their  fellows,  compared  with  his,  who,  through  a  long 
century  of  trial,  had  fought  the  fight  and  kept  the  faith, 
and  come  off  conqueror  over  the  world,  the  flesh,  and 
the  devil  ?  Such  an  instance,  gleaned  from  the  dark 
records  of  human  depravity  and  crime,  revives  our  sink- 
ing spirits  —  tells  us  that  there  is  faith  on  earth,  and  the 
sure  and  certain  hope  of  God's  eternal  favor.  All  do 
not  wax  worse  as  they  grow  old  ;  all  do  not  change  with 
circumstances  —  suit  their  policy  to  the  times,  and  cringe 
and  fawn  to  further  selfish  ends ;  nor  are  all  "  carried 
about  with  every  wind  of  doctrine."  The  tempest  will 
scatter  the  leaf,  and  twist  the  sapling,  and  uproot  the 
proud  pine  ;  but  the  aged  oak  still  stands. 

At  last  Jehoiada  dies,  and  is  interred,  not  with  com- 
mon mortals,  nor  with  departed  priests,  but  in  the  sep- 
ulchre of  the  kings  —  even  there,  where  he  who  slew 
Goliath  was  stiff  in  death,  and  he  whose  glory  attracted 
the  queen  of  Sheba,  was  mouldering  in  the  dust.    It  was 


FACTITIOUS    RELIGION.  361 

the  highest  honor  that  men,  in  their  earth-born  concep- 
tions of  greatness,  could  pay  to  his  remains ;  but  among 
all  the  kingly  great  ones  who  there  slept,  of  which  could 
it  be  in  truth  said,  that  he  had  lived  only  to  do  good  ? 
Some  had  done  evil ;  others  evil  as  well  as  good  ;  but 
Jehoiada  good  alone  :  and  while  one  is  remembered  for 
his  exploits  in  the  field,  and  another  for  the  magnificence 
of  his  reign,  and  others  for  their  idolatries  and  folly,  his 
memory  will  be  cherished  for  his  singular  goodness. 
The  epitaph  that  marks  his  tomb  in  distinction  from  the 
rest  is,  "iJi?  had  done  good  in  Israel.'''' 

For  the  time,  none  felt  his  loss  more  than  Joash ; 
none  shed  bitterer  tears,  or  surpassed  him  in  honoring 
the  remains  of  his  lamented  counsellor  and  friend.  What 
had  Joash  been,  without  Jehoiada?  To  him  was  he 
indebted,  under  Providence,  for  his  education,  his  res- 
toration to  the  throne  of  Judah,  his  success  in  repairing 
the  breaches  which  had  been  made  in  the  temple  —  for 
his  present  enviable  position  and  cheering  prospects. 
Jehoiada  had  sheltered  the  young  prince  from  the  dan- 
gers of  Athaliah's  rule,  and  prepared  him  to  assume  the 
reins  of  government ;  and  when  the  nation  grew  weary 
of  the  usurper,  had  placed  the  rightful  crown  of  David's 
lineage  on  his  youthful  brows.  And  can  Joash  ever 
forget  his  counsels? — Forget? 

There  is  one  who  has  set  out  in  a  career  of  dissipa- 
tion and  vice  ;  yet  so  long  as  his  father  lived,  he  gave 
promise  of  a  life  of  duty  and  usefulness.  There  is  an- 
other who  has  surrendered  his  mind  to  false  prophets, 
and  is  worshipping  at  a  strange  altar ;  yet  so  long  as  his 
Christian  teacher  lived,  he  adhered  to  truth,  and  went 

14* 


FACTITIOUS    RELIGION. 

up  to  the  courts  of  the  Lord's  house.  However  great 
may  be  the  force  of  personal  influence,  it  is  famiUar  to 
observation,  that  when  a  father's  liead  is  laid  in  the  grave, 
his  children  are  apt  to  go  every  one  his  own  way  ;  and 
so,  when  a  minister  of  the  gospel  dies,  how  often  does  it 
happen  that  some  among  those  who  were  wont  to  hang 
on  his  lips,  depart  from  the  ordinances  of  the  sanctuary  ! 

No  sooner  had  Jehoiada's  sun  gone  down  in  all  its 
full-orbed  splendor,  than  men  who  had  hid  their  dimin- 
ished heads,  came  forth ;  and  others  who  liked  not  the 
old-fashioned  religion,  then  ventured  to  speak  aloud 
their  sentiments  ;  men,  too,  who  had  been  envious  of 
Jehoiada,  then  perhaps  insinuated  in  the  hearing  of 
Joash  that  his  loss  was  not  so  great  as  he  imagined,  and 
that  he  needed  no  counsellor  wiser  than  himself — men 
who,  like  all  unprincipled  dependents,  knew  how  to  flat- 
ter and  fawn  for  their  own  ends. 

The  king  is  in  more  imminent  danger  than  if  the 
Syrian  hosts  were  hammering  at  his  gates,  or  assassins 
lurking  round  his  palace.  He  need  not  fear  for  his 
country,  nor  his  life,  so  long  as  he  remembers  Israel's 
God  :  his  person  is  inviolate,  his  city  impregnable,  while 
he  enjoys  Heaven's  favor.  Has  he  not  been  taught  to 
know  this  from  his  youth  up  ?  Was  not  Jehoiada  a 
living  witness  of  God's  covenant  faithfulness  ?  Has  not 
he  himself  had  an  experience  of  the  blessedness  of  God's 
service  ?  To  whom  is  he  indebted  for  all  his  advantao;es 
and  honors,  but  to  God,  through  the  instrumentality  of 
the  good  Jehoiada?  Already,  though  but  a  (ew  moons 
have  passed  since  the  old  man  was  laid  in  his  grave, 
has  Joash,  who  so  truly  bemoaned  his  death  and  honored 


FACTITIOUS    RELIGION.  163 

his  remains,  begun  to  surrender  his  mind  to  influences 
adverse  to  the  teachings  and  example  of  his  venerated 
friend. 

How  vain  is  it  to  conchide,  from  one's  past  character, 
that  he  must  needs  be  innocent  of  the  crime  with  which 
he  now  stands  charged  !  This  Joash,  once  so  zealous  for 
the  true  God,  is  now  just  as  zealous  for  Ashtaroth  !  who 
once  moved  the  kingdom  to  repair  the  Lord's  house, 
now  leaves  the  house  of  God,  and  calls  on  all  to  aid 
him,  without  delay  or  reserve,  in  building  groves  and 
erecting  idols  through  the  land  ! 

Could  nothing  better  have  been  expected  of  any  king 
in  so  dark  an  age,  and  amid  so  rude  a  people?  Is  it 
in  keeping  with  much  that  forces  itself  on  our  notice,  as 
we  look  into  the  history  of  that  period  ?  Perhaps  the 
very  man  who  now  sits  in  contemptuous  judgment  on 
the  sacred  record,  was  brought  up  amid  the  lights  and 
influences  of  the  gospel  —  wont  to  go  up  to  the  courts 
of  the  Lord's  house,  and  even  entered  into  covenant  with 
the  Lord  !  Wherein,  then,  does  such  a  man  differ  in 
principle  from  Joash,  if  so  be  that  he  has  left  the  house 
of  the  Lord  to  serve  the  groves  of  sensual  pleasure  — 
to  bow  down  at  the  altar  of  Philosophy  falsely  so  called 
—  or  to  worship  the  gods  of  mammon  and  ambition? 
Joash's  change  was  owing  to  influences  not  dissimilar 
from  those  which  now  so  often  result  in  transforming  the 
youth  of  promise  into  the  abandoned  profligate  ;  the 
humble,  generous  poor  man  into  the  proud  and  selfish 
rich  man  ;  the  zealous,  sensitive  religionist  into  the  frigid, 
callous  formalist;  the  kind  husband  and  affectionate 
father  into  the  domestic  tyrant. 


164  FACTITIOrS    RELIGION. 

Joash  wanted  a  religion  more  in  conformity  with  the 
notions  of  some  of  the  princes  of  Israel.  He  had  proh- 
ahly  been  flattered  into  the  idea  that  it  woukl  be  more 
for  his  respectability  ;  for  thus  the  "  good  old  way"  is 
not  unfrequently  abandoned.  Some  other  form  of  reli- 
gion has  the  patronage  of  worldly  greatness  or  of  literary 
renown,  or  it  is  the  religion  of  the  gay  votaries  of  fash- 
ion. Indeed,  none  are  more  forward  than  worldly  reli- 
gionists to  pour  contempt  on  the  "  good  old  way  ;"  none 
make  greater  efforts  to  proselyte,  nor  rejoice  more  in 
the  success  of  their  seductive  arts  —  though  their  victim 
has,  by  his  apostasy,  branded  the  memory  of  a  pious 
father,  and  violated  the  covenant  of  his  youth.  So  did 
the  princes  rejoice  when  Joash  left  the  house  of  God, 
and  served  the  groves  and  the  idols ! 

But  there  were  men  in  Judah  who  grieved  over  his 
apostasy,  and  sighed  bitterly  when  they  reverted  in  soli- 
tary thought  to  the  days  of  the  good  Jehoiada.  We  can 
imagine  how  they  humbled  themselves  before  the  Lord, 
and  searched  their  own  hearts  to  see  whether  any  secret 
sin  of  theirs  had  caused  the  Lord  to  withdraw  his  pro- 
tecting favor  from  their  nation  ;  and  their  own  lives  too, 
whether  they  had  in  any  way  deviated  from  the  paths 
of  duty,  and  thereby  furnished  others  with  a  plea  for 
going  to  the  greater  extremes.  At  first  they  might  not 
have  been  able  to  accredit  all  that  was  said  of  Joash. 
It  was  too  improbable  that  a  man  so  instructed,  and  who 
had  done  so  good  service,  would  in  any  wise  sanction 
idolatry.  He  cannot  proceed  to  extremities,  and  undo 
all  that  he  has  done.  One  friendly  monition  will  lead 
him  to  pause.     Can  he  but  be  induced  to  think  of  him 


FACTITIOUS    RELIG:OISr.  165 

whom  he  once  so  deeply  reverenced,  he  will  reproach 
himself  and  penitently  retrace  his  steps.  Mistaken  peo- 
ple !  Joash  is  not  a  man  to  be  influenced  by  motives 
which  sway  your  conduct.  Joash  has  no  susceptibility 
to  the  sentiment  of  duty.  Joash  is  not  an  apostate  — 
his  heart  was  never  true  to  God.  He  is  the  same  man 
he  ever  was  —  only  in  different  circumstances,  and  with 
different  advisers.  All  the  religion  he  ever  had  was 
vested  in  Jehoiada  ;  and  when  he  died,  the  king's  reli- 
gion died  also.  • 

Still,  it  is  right  to  expostulate  with  him  :  fear  may 
restrain,  if  higher  motives  do  not  influence  him  to  re- 
pent. The  time  has  come  for  God's  people  to  speak 
out  boldly,  though  calmly  —  respectfully,  but  with  all 
faithfulness. 

It  does  not,  however,  become  any  one  to  set  up  his 
own  judgment  in  religious  matters  as  an  authoritative 
rule  for  others.  When  left  to  the  operations  of  their 
own  minds,  or  to  the  promptings  of  their  own  hearts, 
men  will  differ  in  their  conclusions.  Unless  there  be 
some  divinely  authorized  standard  of  truth  and  duty,  we 
ourselves  may  be  as  justly  obnoxious  to  blame  for  our 
views  and  practices  as  other  men  for  theirs  ;  and  they, 
notwithstanding  the  contrariety  of  their  religious  opin- 
ions from  our  own,  may  be  equally  worthy  of  the  Divine 
acceptance  with  ourselves.  In  the  absence  of  a  Reve- 
lation, all  men  are  alike  in  the  dark  as  respects  the  great 
things  pertaining  to  God  and  the  soul.  They  may  dif- 
fer in  their  mental  and  physical  condition,  but  do  not  in 
their  need  of  Devine  authority  for  the  principles  of  their 
relio-ious  belief.     The  heathen  were  left  to  the  law  of 


166  FACTITIOUS    RELIGION. 

conscience  ;  and,  though  this  had  become  perverted  and 
obscured,  they  were  not  to  be  judged  by  any  other  law. 
But  unto  Israel  God  had  "  written  the  great  things  of 
his  law."  Yes ;  there  was  the  Law  which  had  been 
delivered  amid  the  thunders  and  lightnings  of  Sinai  — 
reiterated  in  the  hearing  of  successive  generations  —  and 
still  to  be  seen  engraven  on  tables  of  stone,  and  en- 
shrined in  the  holy  of  holies  ;  which  carried  with  it,  in 
the  experience  of  the  past,  blessings  or  curses,  life  or 
death,  as  men  had  either  obeyed  or  disobeyed  its  pre- 
cepts ;  that  law  which  Jehoiada  had  revered,  and  which 
his  son,  notwithstanding  the  king's  defection,  has  not 
ceased  to  reverence  and  obey. 

Zechariah  stood  in  the  same  relation  to  that  law,  by 
virtue  of  his  Divine  commission,  that  the  sworn  magis- 
trate sustains  to  the  law  of  the  land.  He  could  not 
stand  by  and  see  that  law  violated  without  criminating 
himself;  —  under  such  circumstances,  silence  would 
have  been  treason.  Still,  he  did  not  denounce,  but  ex- 
postulate—  did  not  even  oppose  his  own  opinion  to  the 
king's,  but  simply  referred  him  to  the  law.  By  that 
law  which  no  earthly  power  had  enacted,  nor  could  con- 
travene— that  law  which  the  king  himself  had  once 
sworn  to  observe,  and  which  could  by  no  man  be  vio- 
lated with  impunity, —  the  groves  and  the  idols  were 
not  to  be  tolerated  for  a  single  moment.  Most  insultino- 
to  the  Majesty  of  heaven  and  earth,  they  provoked  his 
hot  displeasure. 

Methinks  I  see  that  holy  man  —  standing  there,  in  the 
midst  of  that  idolatrous  throng,  without  fear,  though 
not  without  emotion ;  strong  in  the  consciousness  of 


FACTITIOUS    RELIGION.  167 

his  duty,  yet  almost  overcome  by  sad  thoughts  which 
struggle  for  utterance.  To  him,  God  is  the  Supreme 
Reahty,  and  God's  law  the  Supreme  Authority.  In 
comparison  with  him,  all  the  gods  of  the  heathen  are  less 
than  the  small  dust  of  the  balance  ;  in  competition  with 
his  statutes,  all  human  enactments  but  as  "  the  spider's 
most  attenuated  thread!"  But  the  ^roTphet  is  alone  in  his 
conceptions;  —  no  heart  there  beats  in  unison  with  his. 
None  could  deny  what  he  affirmed  ;  but  none  would  as- 
sent. No  one  ventured  to  refute  his  position  ;  but  all 
with  one  voice  resisted  what  they  deemed  an  intrusion. 
They  acted  toward  him,  as  men  always  act  who  hate 
the  truth,  and  knowingly  reject  it,  or  are  convicted  of 
sins  which  they  do  not  mean  to  renounce  :  as  the  mob 
act,  when  confronted  by  the  law  of  the  land  ;  or  Ro- 
manists, when  called  upon  to  test  their  creed  and  con- 
duct by  the  teachings  of  God's  holy  and  authoritative 
word.  As  the  former  are  wont  to  assail  the  officers  of 
the  civil  government,  or  the  latter,  with  invective  and  at 
times  with  missiles,  the  teachers  of  God's  word,  so  did 
the  apostates  of  Judah  maltreat  this  holy  man  ;  and  at 
last  they  stoned  him  to  death  ! 

No  event  in  history  surpasses  this  in  atrocity  and 
guilt.  What  horror  must  have  seized  the  righteous 
remnant  in  Judah  on  the  intelligence  of  such  a  deed  ! 
What  dismay  paralyzed  their  hearts!  So  good  and 
gentle  a  spirit  rudely  treated  —  foully  murdered  I  and 
that,  too,  in  the  court  of  the  house  of  the  Lord  !  A 
righteous  man  sacrificed  to  the  malice  of  the  wicked ! 
A  servant  of  God,  as  it  were,  abandoned  of  God  to  the 
fury  of  apostates,  because  he  had  dared  to  do  his  duty ! 


168  FACTITIOUS    RELIGION. 

Such  an  event  well  nigh  staggers  faith,  and  quenches 
all  holy  aspirations.  Why  attempt  to  serve  God,  if  we 
may  he  thus  requited  ?  Does  God  really  love  tlie 
righteous,  and  respect  the  interests  of  his  cause  on 
earth  ?  Such  might  have  been  the  thoughts  of  those 
who  had  fondly  hoped  that  Zechariah's  mission  to  the 
king  would  be  the  means  of  arresting  him  in  his  idola- 
trous course.  Such  are  wont  to  be  our  own  first 
thoughts,  when  the  Christian  missionary  is  sacrificed  to 
demon  gods  ;  for  Zechariah  is  only  one  of  thousands 
who  have  been  cruelly  put  to  death  because  they  were 
true  to  God. 

But  so  surely  as  God  exists,  such  events  could  never 
have  taken  place  without  his  sovereign  purpose  ;  and  if 
so,  his  providences  are  to  be  improved,  not  misinter- 
preted. Encouragement  is  to  be  derived,  not  from  vis- 
ible success,  but  from  the  consciousness  of  being  rightly 
employed.  Duty  is  ours  —  results  belong  to  God  ;  and 
happy  the  man  of  God  whom  Death  meets  at  the  post 
of  duty  ! 

It  seems  strange,  as  in  the  case  of  Zechariah,  that 
any  servant  of  the  Most  High  should  be  cut  off  in  the 
midst  of  his  usefulness  —  at  the  very  moment  when  his 
labors  could  least  be  spared  !  But  this  arises  from  the 
presumption  that  we_  are  the  best  judges  ;  know  when 
and  where  God's  servant  should  close  his  work  ;  that 
God  is  dependent  on  certain  human  instrumentalities ; 
and  that  he  ought  not  to  remove  any  one  on  whom  his 
church  relies  as  especially  fitted  for  usefulness. 

But  why  should  he  be  subjected  to  such  a  death  ? 
Does  it  not  soem  that  not  even  the  best  of  men  can  rely 


FACTITIOUS    llELIGIOX.  169 

on  the  Divine  protection  —  and  tend  to  corroborate  the 
skeptical  inference  drawn  from  the  fact  that  "  one  event 
happeneth  to  all"  ?  No  ;  the  Christian  himself,  though 
delivered  from  the  fear  of  death,  can  be  exempt  from 
none  of  its  physical  attendants.  He  may  lie  down  nev- 
er to  rise  again,  or  go  out  never  to  return  ;  die  easily 
or  die  in  agony  —  in  his  bed  or  by  the  hand  of  violence. 

Nor  are  we  at  liberty  even  to  say  that  such  an  event 
is  mysterious.  It  is  less  mysterious,  when  all  the  cir- 
cumstances are  taken  into  view,  than  that  Stephen 
should  have  been  also  stoned  to  death ;  still  less  so, 
than  that  God's  own  Son  when  intent  on  the  great  work 
of  enlightening  men  in  the  knowledge  of  the  truth, 
should  have  been  crucified  and  slain  by  wicked  hands. 
We  may  not  say  that  his  bloody  death  was  prefigured 
by  that  of  Zechariah ;  but,  as  it  was  predetermined,  so 
was  the  prophet's  death,  and  for  purposes  not  the  less 
wise  and  beneficent  because  they  are  not  easily  resolved. 
In  the  order  of  God's  providence  and  grace,  the  one 
event  might  have  been  no  less  necessary  than  the  other; 
and  in  either  case,  the  demonstration  was  complete  that 
God's  enemies  were  without  excuse. 

It  is,  indeed,  fearful  to  contemplate  such  an  event; 
but  it  is  in  accordance  with  God's  dispensations  toward 
his  people.  It  is  one  of  the  laws  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven,  that  no  man  shall  "  count  his  life  dear  unto 
himself;"  and  that  he  who  goes  forth  amid  the  ranks 
of  a  rebellious  world,  bearing  the  law  of  his  God,  shall 
go  with  his  Hfe  in  his  hand,  to  surrender  it  under  any 
circumstances,  and  at  any  moment,  as  High  Heaven 
15 


170  FACTITIOUS    RELIGION. 

may  please.  "  Neither  count  I  my  life  dear  unto  my- 
self," said  the  great  apostle  to  the  Gentiles,  "  so  that  I 
may  finish  my  course  with  joy,  and  the  ministry  which 
I  have  received  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  to  testify  the  gospel 
of  the  grace  of  God." 

Still  less  are  we  justified  in  regarding  such  events  as 
furnishing  additional  evidence  of  mistaken  plans,  and 
visionary  notions,  and  palpable  indiscretion.  If  any 
evidence,  it  is  too  much :  it  reflects  on  the  wisdom  and 
faith  of  such  men  as  Zechariah,  and  Stephen,  and  Paul ; 
it  paralyzes  Christian  duty,  quenches  the  fire  of  a  heaven- 
born  zeal,  and  undermines  the  Divine  authority  of  the 
Scriptures. 

But  however  difficult  it  may  be  to  reconcile  such 
events  with  our  preconceptions  of  the  Divine  adminis- 
tration, of  this  we  may  be  assured :  God  is  righteous  in 
all  his  ways,  nor  will  he  suffer  the  wicked  to  triumph 
over  any  one  of  his  servants  with  impunity.  "Lord, 
lay  not  this  sin  to  their  charge,"  said  the  dying  Stephen  : 
but  no  such  prayer  escaped  the  lips  of  the  dying  proph- 
et. Zechariah's  murderers  had  not  sinned  ignorantly 
in  unbelief.  Apostates  from  the  God  in  whose  service 
they  had  willingly  enlisted  —  whom  but  yesterday  they 
swore  to  obey  and  honor  —  they  were  conscious  of  their 
wickedness,  and  only  the  more  exasperated  when  re- 
minded of  the  claims  of  that  law  to  which  the  prophet 
so  solemnly  referred.  Their  act  was  virtually  a  delib- 
erate blow  at  the  existence  of  Jehovah  himself;  and 
therefore  all  that  Zechariah  said,  as  he  gave  up  the  ghost, 
was  said,  not  in  imprecation,  but  prophetically :  "  The 
Lord  look  upon  it,  and  require  it !" 


FACTITIOUS    RELIGION.  171 

Had  Joash  been  told  that,  as  soon  as  Jehoiada  should 
be  laid  in  the  grave,  he  himself  would  relapse  into  idola- 
try, he  would  probably  have  been  fired  with  all  the  in- 
dignation that  Hazael  expressed  when  Elisha  told  him 
of  the  evils  he  would  bring  on  the  children  of  Israel : 
and  voiv  the  blood  of  Zechariah  cries  against  him  —  of 
that  man  whom  he  was  doubly  bound  to  protect  and 
encourage,  and  to  whose  father  he  owed  both  his  crown 
and  his  life.  Zechariah,  the  worthy  son  of  the  good 
Jehoiada,  stoned  to  death,  and  in  the  court  of  the  Lord's 
house,  by  the  order  of  Joash  !  "  Be  astonished,  O 
heavens,  at  this,  and  tremble,  O  earth !"  No  wonder 
the  Jews  looked  on  that  act  as  embodying  the  seven 
deadly  sins.  Monstrous  deed !  which  gave  forth  such 
fearful  signs  of  perfidy,  and  ingratitude,  and  inhumanity, 
and  profanation,  and  idolatry  !  It  were  doing  violence 
to  all  the  sentiments  of  our  moral  being  to  suppose  that 
it  could  go  unpunished  :  nor  vi^as  it  forgotten  before 
God.  It  was  visited  on  Joash  and  others ;  visited  on 
God's  enemies  from  generation  to  generation  :  "  for  on 
them  came  all  the  righteous  blood  shed  upon  the  earth, 
from  the  blood  of  righteous  Abel  unto  the  blood  of  Zach- 
arias  son  of  Barachias,"  even  the  last  of  the  prophets 
slain  by  the  Jews. 

Defeat,  disgrace,  and  death,  followed  hard  on  the 
ingratitude  and  apostasy  of  Joash.  Though  he  had,  by 
giving  Hazael  all  the  sacred  treasures,  induced  him  to 
stay  hostilities,  yet  the  Syrians  afterward  made  a  descent 
on  his  borders,  defeated  his  troops,  entered  Jerusalem, 
and  slew  the  princes  of  Judah ;  and  shortly  after,  his 
own  servants  revolted  against  him,  and  revenged  the 


172  FACTITIOUS    RELIGION. 

disgrace  of  the  nation  on  the  person  of  their  king,  by 
murdering  Joash  in  his  bed. 

As  we  look  back  on  the  reign  of  Joash,  several  things 
arrest  our  attention  :  the  ardent  zeal  and  energetic  re- 
forms of  the  youthful  king ;  the  noble  character  and 
honored  death  of  Jehoiada;  the  subsequent  apostasy  of 
Joash  ;  his  murder  of  a  holy  man,  and  his  own  awful 
death  —  all  serving  to  form  a  miniature  picture  of  the 
world  as  it  is  :  the  few  actuated  by  principle,  and  the 
many  alike  devoid  of  the  fear  of  God  ;  the  seeming 
good,  and  the  truly  religious ;  profession  without  prin- 
ciple ending  in  ruinous  error  ;  religious  education  per- 
verted by  evil  communications ;  the  good  taken  away, 
and  the  evil  living  on  ;  the  good,  too,  persecuted  by 
the  evil,  and  the  evil  finally  bringing  ruin  upon  them- 
selves—  the  patience  and  meekness  of  the  former,  the 
audacity  and  malice  of  the  latter ;  the  good  one  man 
may  effect,  and  the  good  one  sinner  may  destroy  ;  the 
consequences  of  infidelity  being  leagued  with  power, 
and  the  recklessness  and  ruthlessness  of  a  mob. 

But  as  we  descend  from  a  general  survey  to  a  partic- 
ular investigation  of  the  principles  of  human  action,  it 
becomes  evident  that  men  may  build  temples,  yet  not 
be  temples  ;  be  ecclesiologists,  yet  not  Christians  ;  seem 
all  devotedness  to  the  cause  of  religion,  yet  be  destitute 
of  the  grace  of  God  ;  have  only  a  form  of  godliness,  and 
yet  outstrip  in  their  zeal  and  efforts  for  "repairing  the 
breaches  in  the  temple,"  and  reforming  society,  those 
who  possess  the  power  ! 

Men  of  this  class  usually  propose  to  themselves  some 
model  of  action,  derived  from  association  with  a  remark- 


FACTITIOUS    RELIGION.  173 

able  character,  or,  it  may  be,  from  religious  biography. 
Their  fancy  has  been  captivated,  and  given  rise  to  an 
ambitious  motive  ;  and  thus  they  are  unconsciously  led 
to  assume  appearances,  and  essay  great  things.  But 
their  zeal  lasts  only  while  their  Jehoiada  lives,  or  their 
associations  continue.  Away  from  their  paragon,  or 
deprived  of  their  wonted  ecclesiastical  excitements,  they 
are  no  longer  what  they  seemed  to  be. 

It  may  be  very  convenient,  as  it  is  quite  common,  to 
hang  our  faith  on  some  one  man  ;  to  let  him  think  for 
us,  and  pray  for  us,  and  act  for  us,  or  incite  and  encour- 
age us  to  act — to  make  him  at  once  our  oracle  and 
rule  ;  but  when  he  dies,  where  will  be  our  religion  ?  or 
should  he,  at  an  unexpected  hour,  swerve  from  the  truth, 
where  will  be  our  faith  ? 

Ah  !  how  little  criteria  do  external  ordinances  furnish 
of  true  religious  character !  how  impossible  to  form  a 
judgment  of  one's  future  course  from  his  present  zeal 
and  fidelity !  It  is  folly  in  the  extreme  to  begin  a  reli- 
gious life  without  fixed  principles.  We  talk  of  incon- 
sistencies, and  backslidings,  and  apostasies,  as  if  such 
things  were  of  course,  though  matters  of  grief  and  shame. 
But  they  may  all  be  traced  to  some  radical  defect  in 
early  religious  character.  On  the  other  hand,  we  are 
wont  to  express  surprise  that  men  should  so  greatly  dif- 
fer in  their  views  on  the  subject  of  religion,  and  some- 
times espouse  the  very  sentiments  they  once  repudiated. 
But  it  is  all  owing  to  the  fact  that  their  early  views  and 
sentiments  were  not  the  result  of  scriptural  meditation 
and  solitary  prayer  :  they  were  derived  from  without — 
and  from  without,  in  some  other  direction,  has  come  a 

15* 


174  FACTITIOUS    RELIGION. 

change  over  the  spirit  of  their  thoughts,  which  could 
never  have  taken  place  had  they  from  the  first,  with  an 
humble,  teachable  disposition,  referred  their  faith  and 
practice  to  "  the  law  and  to  the  testimony." 

To  believe  because  others  believe,  is  not  faith  ;  to  be 
influenced  by  others  to  act,  is  not  to  act  from  principle  ; 
to  neglect  the  law  and  the  gospel,  is  to  be  in  a  position 
to  embrace  error  or  to  commit  crime,  as  circumstances 
may  direct  and  tempt.  Nevertheless,  he  who  strays 
from  the  path  of  truth  and  duty,  despite  of  the  com- 
bined influences  of  good  instructions  and  a  good  exam- 
ple, necessarily  aggravates  his  own  condemnation. 

But  what  a  calamity  when  a  good  man  dies !  Will 
his  people,  or  will  his  children — those  who  hung  on 
his  lips,  or  aimed  to  do  his  pleasure  —  follow  in  his 
steps?  Yet  shall  his  influence  not  be  altogether  lost. 
A  Zechariah  will  remember  him,  though  a  Joash  should 
forget  him  :  and  though  the  son  should  not  live  to  num- 
ber as  many  days  —  though  he  should  be  subjected  to 
great  trials,  and  at  last  to  a  violent  death  —  his  memory 
shall  not  perish,  nor  his  burial-place  be  dishonored. 
There  will  be  consolation  in  his  death.  His  blood  will 
cry  for  vengeance,  as  the  souls  tinder  tlie  altar  are  now 
crying ;  while  a  martyr's  crown  will  bind  his  temples  ! 

Tell  me  not  that  there  is  no  difference  in  men,  and 
no  reality  in  religion  :  the  flatteries  of  the  world  may 
seduce  a  Joash,  but  not  even  the  terrors  of  the  stake 
can  shake  the  faith  of  a  Zechariah  ! 


THE  leper's  extremity.  175 


THE  LEPER'S  EXTREMITY. 

The  account  of  Naaman's  cure  is  not  less  remarkable 
for  the  important  lessons  it  teaches,  than  the  various  in- 
cidents it  embodies.  If  it  must  be  read  with  interest, 
it  cannot  be  studied  without  profit.  Perhaps  no  portion 
of  sacred  history,  within  the  same  compass,  reflects  so 
much  light  on  the  character  and  condition  of  fallen  man, 
and  on  God's  method  of  saving  sinners.* 

There  was  one  who,  though  invested  with  affluence 
and  clad  with  honor,  standing  high  in  the  state,  and  first 
in  the  confidence  of  his  king,  nevertheless  was  weighed 
down  by  the  most  loathsome  disease.  He  was  captain 
of  the  host — a  great  man  with  his  master ;  he  was  also 
a  mighty  man  in  valor;  but — what  a  set-ofF  to  all  his 
glory  —  he  was  a  leper  ! 

Who  can  envy  his  greatness  ?  who  would  exchange 
conditions  with  him  ?  Naaman  himself  is  most  unhap- 
py :  he  would  give  up  all  his  riches  and  honors  for  even 
the  skin  of  the  basest  slave !  All  those  appendages  of 
rank  —  those  insignia  of  power,  which  flare  on  the  sight 
of  the  giddy  populace  —  are  nothing  to  him:  the  great 
man,  the  mighty  man,  is  a  poor  leper! 

As  it  was  then,  so  is  it  now  :  no  man's  worldly  great- 
ness can  exempt  him  from  trials.     Whatever  his  station 

•  2  King^s  V.  1-19. 


176  THE  leper's  extremity. 

or  influence,  however  imposing  the  advantages  which 
riches  and  power  have  secured  to  him  —  leading  many 
a  dazzled  eye  among  the  throng  to  covet  his  joossessions 
and  honors  —  there  is  some  worm  preying  at  the  root 
of  his  enjoyment ;  and  on  some  account  that  seemingly 
favored  mortal  would  exchange  conditions  with  the  poor- 
est and  most  obscure.  He  may  be  rich,  hut  he  is 
without  health ;  may  have  acquired  a  great  name,  but 
his  own  son  has  disgraced  that  name  ;  may  have  all 
the  advantages  of  family  and  connections,  but  there  is 
no  harmony ;  may  have  achieved  great  things  for  his 
country,  but  he  begins  to  feel  the  instability  of  popular 
favor.  Shall  I  adduce  another  instance?  —  he  may 
have  gained  the  world  ;  but  —  he  has  lost  his  soul ! 

So  true  is  it,  that  no  man  should  be  dissatisfied  with 
his  own  condition,  because  his  neighbor's  may  seem  to 
be  more  eligible  ;  above  all,  that  no  one  who  has  a  good 
hope  through  grace,  be  his  temporal  condition  ever  so 
depressed,  should  envy  the  advantages  of  the  richest 
worldling. 

There  was  one  who  could  at  once  control  the  coun 
oils  of  a  king,  and  the  movements  of  an  army  ;  yet  he 
could  not  control  his  own  spirit.  He  could  command 
attendants,  luxuries,  and  skill ;  yet  could  not  gratify  the 
most  earnest  wish  of  his  heart!  No  one  around  him 
can  aid  him  in  the  least :  the  leprosy  still  clings  to  him, 
and  he  is  miserable. 

What  is  man  without  the  grace  of  God?  Of  what 
avail  are  all  his  efforts,  unless  God  have  mercy  on  him  ? 
"  Better  is  he  that  ruleth  his  spirit  than  he  that  taketh 
a  city ;"  and  mightier  is  he  who  puts  his  trust  in  God 


THE  leper's  extremity.  177 

than  he  who  commands  the  resources  of  an  empire. 
Without  God,  the  most  powerful  can  do  no  more  than 
the  weakest — the  richest  than  the  poorest:  the  beggar 
is  on  a  level  with  the  prince  —  the  slave  with  the  victor. 

There  was  one  to  whom  a  host  looked  up,  and  did 
obeisance  ;  whose  favors  none,  it  may  be,  were  too 
proud  to  solicit :  yet  Naaman,  great  and  honorable  as 
he  is,  must  stoop  to  receive  a  favor  from  a  mere  child  — 
a  poor,  friendless,  captive  Israelite  !  She  has  laid  him 
under  greater  obHgations  than  all  the  physicians  of  Syria ; 
she  has  given  him  intelligence,  in  comparison  with  which 
all  his  possessions  and  honors  are  nothing  worth  ! 

So  true  is  it,  that  they  from  whom  we  expect  the  most, 
often  do  the  least  for  us  in  case  of  our  need  ;  that  com- 
parative strangers  are  often  of  more  service  to  us  than 
those  on  whom  we  naturally  rely ;  that  whatever  ine- 
quality of  conditions  may  obtain  in  society,  there  is  be- 
tween all  ranks  and  classes  a  mutual  state  of  dependen- 
cy ;  that  while  the  poor  are  dependent  on  the  rich,  the 
rich  are  not  less  dependent  on  the  poor ;  that  while  the 
learned  instruct  the  ignorant,  the  wisest  philosopher  may 
learn  from  the  simple  —  thus  teaching  us  to  despise  no 
one  on  account  of  the  meanness  of  his  condition,  or  the 
obscurity  of  his  lot  in  life.  A  hint  from  that,  poor  man 
may  be  of  more  value  to  us  than  the  favor  of  princes, 
or  the  researches  of  science. 

Though  he  knew  not  God,  yet  was  Naarnan  but  an 
instrument  in  the  hands  of  Providence.  "  By  him  the 
Lord  had  given  deliverance  unto  Syria  ;"  and  had  it 
not  been  for  God's  so  ordering  events  that  tiiis  little 
Israelitish  maid  should  not  only  be  carried  away  captive 


178  THE  leper's  extremity. 

into  Syria,  but  be  employed  as  a  servant  by  Naaman's 
wife,  he  had  never  heard  of  the  Samarian  prophet. 

Thus  is  it  now :  that  same  God  who  raised  up  Na- 
aman,  and  afterward  sent  this  Uttle  maid  to  his  house, 
overrules  all  persons  and  events  to  the  furtherance  of 
his  own  purposes.  Men  may  not  acknowledge  him  ; 
but  though  they  pride  themselves  on  their  means,  it  is 
he  who  gave  them  power  to  get  wealth  ;  and  though 
they  may  plume  themselves  on  their  success,  it  is  he 
who  has  achieved  great  things  by  their  hand ;  and 
though  they  may  deem  themselves  fortunate,  it  is  he  who 
communicated  to  them  that  important  intelligence,  or 
secured  to  them  that  unexpected  but  timely  assistance  : 
and  the  time  will  come  when,  if  they  do  not  acknowl- 
edge him,  to  adore  his  unmerited  goodness,  they  will 
tremble  before  his  justice  !  God  is  all  and  in  all!  — 
no  one  acts  without  him  ;  nothing  happens  without  his 
ordering  or  permission  ;  and  it  is  the  part  of  Christian 
philosophy,  as  well  as  of  humble  piety,  to  acknowledge, 
with  either  thankfulness  or  submission,  his  hand  in 
every  event. 

Notwithstanding  Naaman's  superiority — though  he 
stands  so  high  as  a  man  of  valor  and  wisdom,  the  chief 
of  the  army,  and  prime-minister  of  state  —  yet  his  ser- 
vants know  him  better  than  he  knows  himself!  How 
many  similar  instances  of  self-ignorance  may  be  met 
w  ith  at  the  present  day  !  how  rarely  do  we  meet  with 
one  who  knows  himself,  especially  if  he  be  placed  in  a 
situation  that  ministers  to  his  pride  and  vanity ;  and 
how  often  does  it  happen,  that  while  one  is  flattering 
himself  in  his  own  eyes,  any  bystander  may  delect  the 


THE  leper's  extremity.  179 

ruling  passion  of  his  heart  —  the  motives,  the  principles 
which,  it  may  be  unconsciously  to  himself,  govern  all 
his  actions  !  As  nothing  is  harder  than  to  know  one's 
self,  so  nothing  is  easier  or  more  common  than  to  de- 
ceive one's  self.  There  is  no  man  who  has  not  need  to 
pray,  with  David  —  "  Cleanse  thou  me  from  secret  sinsP^ 

"  Are  not  Abana  and  Pharpar,  rivers  of  Damascus, 
better  than  all  the  waters  of  Israel?"  —  "So  Naaman 
turned,  and  went  away  in  a  rage."  So  did  the  Jews, 
having  expected  in  their  Messiah  a  temporal  prince  and 
deliverer,  turn  away  from  Christ :  so  did  the  Greeks, 
through  the  pride  of  their  superior  wisdom,  turn  away 
in  contempt  from  the  doctrine  which  Paul  preached : 
and  thus  does  many  a  man  now  turn  away  from  the 
message  of  the  gospel  —  displeased  with  its  authorita- 
tive plainness  ;  dissatisfied  with  its  requisitions  ;  seeing 
no  necessity  for  its  humbling  conditions  —  preferring  the 
conclusions  of  his  own  understanding,  and  the  efficacy 
of  his  own  works.  'Why  should  I  believe  in  Christ? 
—  do  I  not  believe  in  God  ?  Why  must  I  deny  myself, 
and  follow  Jesus  ?  —  is  not  morality  sufficient?  Why 
must  I  be  changed  by  the  Spirit  of  God?  —  are  not  my 
motives  unimpeachable,  and  my  character  is  it  not  with- 
out reproach  ?' 

To  desire  the  end  without  the  means  is  characteristic 
of  human  nature.  It  was  this  desire  that  in  ancient 
times  secured  to  the  astrologer  and  the  alchemist  so 
great  an  influence  over  the  common  mind  :  the  one  pro- 
fessing to  impart  foresight  without  the  trouble  of  reflec- 
tion ;   and  the  other  riclies  without  eitlier  economv  or 


180  THE  leper's  extremity. 

toil.  This  animates  the  speculator  in  stocks,  and  sup- 
ports the  vender  of  lottery-tickets,  or  of  empirical  nos- 
trums, while  it  secures  success  to  jugglery  and  chicanery. 
Men  would  gain  their  point  without  regard  to  justice ; 
become  rich  without  labor  ;  or  be  cured  without  medi- 
cine. Not  less  obvious  is  the  same  feature  of  our  nature 
when  the  mind  is  awakened  to  the  subject  of  religion. 
Who  would  not  lay  hold  on  eternal  life?  But  where  is 
the  man  who  has  not  detected  in  his  consciousness  a 
reluctance  to  comply  with  the  conditions  of  the  gospel  ? 
As  Naaman  would  have  given  to  the  prophet  any  sum 
of  gold,  or  repeatedly  washed  in  his  own  rivers  —  so 
would  sinful  men  do  any  thing  rather  than  bow  tiieir 
wills  and  sacrifice  their  lusts,  by  acceding  to  the  gospel 
terms  of  salvation.  They  will  give  money,  count  beads, 
observe  fasts  and  festivals,  or  even  perform  occasionally 
severe  j^enances  ;  but  to  repent  in  dust  and  ashes  —  to 
sue  for  mercy  at  the  hands  of  a  sovereign  and  great  God 

—  to  hope  only  on  the  ground  of  Christ's  atoning  death, 

—  this  strips  the  sinner  of  his  pride,  and  lays  his  lofti- 
ness in  the  dust. 

Here,  then,  is  the  secret  of  that  facility  with  which 
priestcraft  replenishes  its  treasury,  and  of  that  success 
which  too  often  attends  the  teaching  of  any  form  of  false 
doctrine.  If  some  system  of  belief  must  be  embraced, 
or  form  of  religion  observed,  tltat  is  naturally  preferable 
which,  while  it  serves  as  an  opiate  to  conscience,  tends  to 
minister  to  the  pride  and  lusts  of  the  carnal  heart.  Here 
is  the  secret,  not  only  of  Deism,  Socinianism,  and  Uni- 
versalism,  but  of  the  injluence  of  Ritualism :  "  I  thought, 
He  will  snrolv  come  out.  and  stnnd.  and  strike  his  hand 


THE  leper's  extremity.  181 

over  tlie  place,  and  recover  the  leper."  Man,  though  a 
fallen  being,  loves  to  be  complimented  ;  and,  though  he 
would  be  saved,  loves  to  be  relieved  from  all  toil  and 
trouble.  Sprinkle  him  with  "  holy  water"  you  may, 
and  at  last  administer  "  extreme  unction  ;"  but  tell  him 
not  that  "  without  holiness  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord  !" 
Or  assure  him  that  "  apostolic  baptism"  will  effect  his  re- 
generation ;  that  to  receive  the  "  consecrated  elements" 
from  ghostly  hands  will  effectually  prepare  him  for  the 
kingdom  of  glory  —  and  he  is  at  once  relieved  from  the 
task  of  "  working  out  his  own  salvation  with  fear  and 
trembling"  —  in  prayerful  dependence  on  the  grace  of 
God  :  his  sense  of  personal  responsibility  to  the  bar  of 
Almighty  God  is  impaired,  if  not  extinguished. 

But  however  we  may  be  imposed  on  by  false  teach- 
ers, or  even  deceive  ourselves  —  if  any  are  to  be  saved, 
their  pride  must  be  humbled.  Naaman  had  never  been 
cured,  had  he  not  done  just  what  the  prophet  told  him 
to  do,  and  believed  just  what  the  prophet  said.  What 
a  change  has  come  over  this  man,  who  but  yesterday 
was  so  enraged  because  Elisha  did  not  come  out  to  him 
with  a  great  deal  of  ceremony,  and  cure  him  with  much 
ado  and  parade  —  he  who  was  not  to  be  treated  as  a 
common  man  ;  he  who  was  not  to  be  commanded  ;  who 
would  in  no  respect  compromise  his  dignity  ;  who  must 
be  humored  as  well  as  healed  !  Lo  !  he  feels  rebuked 
by  a  word  from  his  servants :  he  listens  to  their  modest 
suggestions ;  and  now,  we  see  him  wending  his  solitary 
way  to  the  once-despised  Jordan.  He  feels  that  his 
case  is  desperate,  and  is  willing  to  take  the  prophet  at 
his  word.     Thus  did   God  humble  him,  and  convince 

16 


182       THE  leper's  extremity. 

him  that  in  the  sight  of  Israel's  God  all  men  are  on  a 
level. 

It  matters  not  what  may  be  one's  station  or  profes- 
sions :  he  may  be  a  great  man  in  the  estimation  of  the 
world,  renowned  for  his  prowess  or  his  intellect,  his 
attainments  or  his  virtues ;  but  if  he  is  ever  saved,  he 
will  have  to  take  his  proper  place  in  the  dust  before 
God.  The  leprosy  of  his  soul  can  be  cured  but  in  the 
same  way  others  have  been  cured,  not  excepting  the 
vicious  and  degraded  —  and  that  is,  by  the  blood  of 
Christ.  There  is  salvation  for  man  through  no  other 
name  ;  nor  through  this,  unless  we  believe  what  he  says, 
and  do  what  he  requires.  Every  man,  then,  has  some- 
thing to  do  in  order  to  his  salvation  ;  and  this  is,  not 
to  follow  the  dictates  of  his  understanding  nor  the  de- 
vices of  his  heart  —  not  what  he  presumes  to  be  neces- 
sary, or  infers  from  his  assumed  premises,  —  but  simply 
what  God  has  said.  Naaman  might  have  washed  in  the 
rivers  of  Damascus,  and  fancied  that  his  health  was  im- 
proved by  bathing  in  his  native  streams ;  but  he  would 
not  have  been  cured,  had  he  not  washed  himself  in  the 
Jordan  :  not  that  its  waters  were  in  any  way  more  salu- 
tary than  Abana  and  Pharpar ;  but  that  the  prophet's 
direction  to  him  was  designed  as  a  trial  of  his  obedience, 
and  as  the  sign  of  a  cure.  So  may  one's  conscience  be 
relieved  by  adopting  some  religious  system  which  suits 
his  notions,  or  accords  with  his  inclinations  ;  but  he 
cannot  have  "peace  and  joy  in  believing."  He  may 
fancy  himself  rich  and  increased  in  goods ;  but  he  is 
blind,  and  naked,  and  miserable,  and  in  want  of  all 
things.     He  may  hope  to  be  saved  ;  but  Christ  himself 


THE  leper's  extremity.        183 

has  said :  *'  Not  every  one  that  saith  to  me,  '  Lord,  Lord,' 
shall  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  but  he  that  doeth 
the  will  of  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven." 

How  important,  when  sinners  are  solicitous  of  their 
soul's  welfare,  that  they  should  be  directed  aright !  One 
word  from  Naaman's  servants  that  accorded  with  his 
exasperated  feelings  against  the  prophet,  or  with  his 
wish  to  be  cured  in  his  own  way,  and  he  had  died  a 
leper  —  died,  too,  without  the  knowledge  of  Israel's 
God !  One  injudicious  remark,  one  erroneous  word, 
to  that  soul  which  has  been  directed  unto  the  way  of 
regeneration,  and  its  feelings  may  settle  down  into  em- 
bittered prejudice,  not  only  against  the  true  servant  of 
Christ,  but  against  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus ! 

I  tremble  for  the  soul,  when  once  the  truth  of  God 
cuts  across  the  path  of  its  depraved  inclinations.  How 
imminent  its  danger,  if  it  listen  to  the  promptings  of 
pride,  or  to  the  suggestions  of  an  evil  heart  of  unbelief! 
He  who  acts  on  any  direction  which  lias  not  a  "  Thus 
sn'ith  the  Lord,''''  does  so  at  the  peril  of  his  soul! 

"  God's  thoughts  are  not  as  our  thoughts,  nor  his 
ways  as  our  ways:"  God's  idem  of  salvation  is  not  by 
ghostly  absolution  and  efficacious  sacraments  ;  not  by 
moral  observances  ;  nor  by  ritual  solemnities  and  bodily 
penances. 

What  a  mockery  of  the  truth  —  what  an  insult  to 
Christ — what  an  impious  reflection  on  his  atoning  sac- 
rifice—  are  the  dogmas  and  devices  of  those  who  would 
be  "  wise  above  what  is  written  !"  Is  the  gospel  so  im- 
perfect and  obscure,  that  it  needs  to  be  completed  and 
illustrated  by  the  expedients  of  worldly  wisdom,  and  by 


184  THE  leper's  extremity. 

the  traditions  of  men  ?  Then  is  it  not  an  infalHble  and 
all-sufficient  rule  of  faith  and  practice.  We  are  with- 
out a  guide  in  this  moral  wilderness.  Woe  and  alas ! 
our  hopes  are  dashed  —  we  still  grope  amid  the  dark- 
ness of  nature ! 

"  To  the  law  and  to  the  testimony  :  if  they  speak  not 
according  to  this  word,  it  is  because  there  is  no  light 
in  them."  —  "Go,"  said  the  prophet,  "  wash,  and  be 
clean."  What  can  be  plainer  or  more  explicit  ?  But 
not  less  explicit  is  God's  direction  now  to  every  inqui- 
ring sinner  :  "  Repent,  and  do  works  meet  for  repent- 
ance. Believe  with  the  heart  unto  righteousness."  — 
'  What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved  V  cried  the  trembling 
jailer.  "  Believe  on  the  Lord  .Jesus  Christ,  and  thou 
shalt  be  saved."  The  same  is  imperative  and  incumbent 
on  every  man  :  not  that  his  repentance  will  save  him, 
nor  his  faith  ;  but  these  are  the  conditions  on  which  God 
will  save  him. 

Hence,  the  eternal  condition  of  sinners  rests  with  God. 
"Am  1  God,"  said  the  king  of  Israel,  on  reading  the 
letter  in  Naaman's  behalf,  "  to  kill  and  to  make  alive, 
that  this  man  doth  send  unto  me  to  recover  a  man 
of  his  leprosy?"  The  king  could  not  have  restored 
him,  nor  could  Elisha,  nor  was  there  any  sanative 
virtue  in  the  waters  of  the  Jordan.  All  that  Naaman 
can  do  is  to  follow  the  prophet's  instructions  :  whether 
he  is  to  be  cured  or  not  depends  on  the  good  pleasure 
of  the  Almighty.  And  thus  is  it  with  the  sinner :  no 
matter  what  may  be  his  views  of  the  nature  and  seat  of 
his  spiritual  malady  ;  he  may  change  his  habits  of  life, 
correct   his   irregularities,  and   moderate  his  passions; 


THE  leper's  extremity.  185 

retire  from  the  temptations  of  the  world,  lacerate  his 
body,  or  perform  divers  painful  tasks  in  atonement  for 
sin  ;  but  his  disease  has  only  taken  deeper  root.  Like 
a  cutaneous  eruption  when  repelled,  though  it  may  con- 
ceal its  outward  appearance,  it  seldom  fails  to  establish 
more  firmly  its  internal  strength — to  protract  and  en- 
hance the  danger  of  the  disorder.  No  matter  to  whom 
he  applies,  or  what  means  he  employs,  his  case  baffles 
the  power  of  human  reason,  and  mocks  the  expedients 
of  ghostly  craft.  He  cannot  cure  himself;  no  man  can 
cure  him  ;  and  Nature,  amid  all  her  beneficent  adapta- 
tions, furnishes  no  remedy  for  the  leprosy  of  the  soul. 
Woe  be  to  him  who,  undertaking  the  sinner's  case,  does 
but  "  skin  and  film  the  ulcerous  place ;"  though  worse 
for  the  sinner  himself,  if  his  apprehensions  be  quieted 
by  the  delusions  of  a  false  hope  !  He  can  but  aggra- 
vate his  own  disease,  and  enhance  the  danger  of  his 
case  —  no  matter  what  philosophy  may  suggest  or  priest- 
craft prescribe,  so  long  as  he  does  not  reverently  and 
solicitously  inquire  at  the  oracle  of  God. 

Well  for  Naaman  that  there  was  a  prophet  in  Sama- 
ria ;  and  happy  for  the  sinner  that  he  can  now  have 
access  to  some  ambassador  for  Christ.  But  what  can 
he  do  —  even  he  whom  God  has  commissioned  to  preach 
the  gospel  to  dying  sinners  ?  —  no  more  than  Elisha  did 
for  Naaman  :  "  Go  wash  and  be  clean."  And  so  may 
he  say,  and  does  say,  on  the  authority  of  the  inspired 
record,  ^'' Repent,  and  belicvc.^^  But  whether  any  one 
is  to  be  saved,  rests  with  God  —  that  Being  against 
whose  law,  against  whose  gospel,  against  whose  provi- 
dences, against  whose  grace,  we  have  so  long  and  so 

16* 


186  THE  leper's  extremity. 

deeply  sinned  ;  whose  high  attributes  could  not  be  im- 
peached—  whom  all  holy  beings  \TouId  still  love  and 
adore  —  should  he  leave  every  soul  of  man  to  perish. 

If  the  soul  is  ever  cleansed  from  its  deadly  pollutions, 
it  will  be  by  the  effectual  application  of  the  blood  of 
Christ  in  the  washing  of  regeneration  and  the  renewing 
of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  the  only  ground  on  which  any 
ambassador  for  Christ  can  look  on  the  sinner's  condi- 
tion with  the  least  feeling  of  hopefulness,  will  arise  from 
his  disposition  to  do  what  God  requires.  It  matters  not 
what  else  he  may  do,  what  "  great  things,"  what  "  won- 
derful works,"  there  is  no  scriptural  hope  for  him  —  no 
possibility  of  his  recovery  from  ruin,  so  long  as  he  does 
not  "  repent  and  believe."  With  all  his  moralities  and 
charities,  though  he  may  be  very  decided  in  his  religious 
opinions  and  ecclesiastical  affinities,  and  enjoy  the  rep- 
utation of  serving  his  God  after  the  manner  of  his  fa- 
thers, he  is  still  in  his  sins,  and  in  danger  of  dying  in 
his  sins. 

"  Lord,  if  thou  wilt  thou  canst  make  me  clean,"  said 
the  poor  leper,  who,  in  his  extremity,  had  been  forced 
to  cast  himself  at  the  feet  of  Jesus ;  and  he  was  cleans- 
ed. So  immediate  and  complete  was  his  recovery,  that, 
in  the  fulness  of  his  heart,  he  could  not  refrain  from 
proclaiming  the  wonderful  name  of  Jesus!  Thus  Na- 
aman,  obedient  to  the  heavenly  message,  went  and  wash- 
ed, and  '*  his  flesh  came  again  like  unto  the  flesh  of  a 
little  child,  and  he  was  clean.  And  he  returned  to  the 
man  of  God,  and  said.  Behold,  now  J  know  that  there 
is  no  God  in  all  the  earth,  but  in  Israel." 

That  God's  name  mi^-ht  be  exalted  among  the  hea- 


THE  leper's  extremity.  187 

then  was  one  of  the  ends  for  which  the  Israelites  were 
selected  as  his  people,  and  separated  from  the  surround- 
ing nations ;  and  the  miraculous  manner  in  which  his 
authority  was  often  attested,  sometimes  extorted  a  trib- 
ute of  praise  to  his  name  even  from  the  worshippers  of 
idols.  Thus,  are  God's  people  now  spiritually  distin- 
guished from  the  world,  that  the  "  Son  may  be  hon- 
ored even  as  the  Father,"  and  often  does  he  show  forth 
his  power  and  grace  as  a  Saviour  mighty  to  save,  in  a 
way  which  confounds,  though  it  may  not  always  con- 
vince, the  unbeliever.  Who  must  not  have  acknow- 
ledged the  hand  of  God  in  Naaman's  cure  ?  And  who 
can  refrain  from  acknowledging  the  grace  of  God, 
through  Jesus  Christ,  in  the  conversion  of  sinners? 
What,  short  of  a  Divine  agency,  can  bow  man's  stub- 
born will,  and  change  his  alienated  heart,  and  raise  his 
earth-born  affections,  and  inspire  him  with  a  purifying 
hope  ?  To  see  a  man  so  lately  deformed  and  degraded 
by  sin,  now,  gifted  with  new  views  of  God,  of  himself, 
and  of  the  world  ;  having,  too,  new  loves  and  hates, 
new  joys  and  sorrows,  new  hopes  and  fears,  new  desires 
and  purposes — being,  in  fact,  a  neiv  creature  in  Christ 
Jesus  !  what  evidence  can  be  so  conclusive  that  the 
gospel  is  the  wisdom  and  the  power  of  God  unto  salva- 
tion !  Be  it  so,  that  the  wise,  and  the  mighty,  and  the 
noble  of  this  world,  may  regard  the  pure  and  simple 
gospel  of  Christ  unworthy  of  their  notice  :  as  God  ef- 
fected Naaman's  cure  and  conversion  by  means  of  that 
very  river  which  he  scorned,  so  does  he  now  accom- 
plish his  gracious  purposes  only  by  means  which  the 
carnal  mind  invariably  undervalues  and  despises.     He 


188        THE  leper's  extremity. 

"  hath  chosen  the  foohsh  things  of  the  world  to  con- 
found the  wise  ;  and  the  weak  things  of  the  world  to 
confound  the  things  which  are  mighty  ;  and  the  base 
things  of  the  world,  and  things  which  are  despised, 
hath  God  chosen,  yea,  and  things  which  are  not,  to 
bring  to  naught  things  that  are:  that  no  flesh  should  glo- 
ry in  his  presence." 

Men  may  think  that  they  have  attained  unto  the 
knowledge  of  the  true  God ;  but  unless  they  have 
sought  him  as  he  is  revealed  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ, 
whatever  their  boasted  superiority  of  intellectual  cul- 
ture, they  are  in  darkness  not  less  fatal  than  that  In 
which  the  worshipper  of  Rimmon  was  immersed,  be- 
fore his  journey  to  the  prophet  of  Israel.  Their  God 
may  not  have  assumed  an  outward  form  ;  but  he  is  not 
less  the  idol  of  their  fancy.  The  idea  of  him  may  be 
given  to  them  in  "  the  reason,"  or  it  may  spring  from  a 
morbid  sentimentalism  ;  or  it  may  be 

"  A  sense  sublime 
Of  something  far  more  deeply  interfused, 
Whose  dwelling  is  the  light  of  setting  suns, 
And  the  round  ocean ,  and  the  living  air ;" 

but  he  is  7iof  that  God  who  "  has  set  forth  Jesus  Christ 
to  be  a  propitiation  for  sin  through  faith  in  his 
blood."  As  God  was  made  known  only  to  Israel,  so 
is  he  now  made  known  only  to  those  to  whom  Christ 
reveals  him.  This  must  be  admitted,  or  the  Bible  is 
practically  rejected.  In  vain  might  Elisha  have  reason- 
ed with  Naaman  on  the  sin  and  folly  of  his  idolatry. 
A  man  who,  notwithstanding  the  extremity  of  his  dis- 
ease, could  hardly  be  prevailed  on  to  submit  to  a  reme- 
dial process  which  the  pride  of  rank  and  the  prejudices 


THE  leper's  extremity.  189 

of  country  had  led  him  to  despise,  was  not  to  be  con- 
vinced that  the  God  whom  he  had  worshipped  from  his 
youth,  and  whom  his  king  and  country  adored,  is  no 
God.  And  what  was  it  that  impelled  him  at  last  to  try 
the  waters  of  Jordan,  but  his  resistless,  overpowering 
conviction  that  unless  the  prophet  could  help  in  that 
way,  there  was  no  help  !  He  was  a  dying  leper,  and 
there  was  but  one  hope  left  for  him.  And  what  led  him 
to  return  to  the  prophet,  and  in  the  presence  of  that  ho- 
ly man,  to  renounce  his  idols,  and  dedicate  himself  to 
God,  and  swear  that  "  henceforth  he  would  offer  nei- 
ther burnt-offering  nor  sacrifice  unto  other  gods,"  but 
his  wonderful  experience  of  the  power  and  grace  of  Is- 
rael's God.  This  will  not  be  denied  ;  yet  is  it  equally 
certain  —  and  the  experience  of  all  true  Christians  bears 
witness  to  the  fact — that,  not  until  a  man  has  been 
brought  to  see  "  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  sin,"  to 
feel  his  guilt  and  his  danger  as  a  sinner  against  God, 
will  he  flee  for  refuge  to  the  hope  that  is  set  before  him 
in  the  gospel ;  and  that  when  he  is  thus  brought  from 
nature's  darkness  into  the  marvellous  light  of  the  gos- 
pel, the  conviction  of  his  heart  is,  there  is  no  God  in 
all  the  earth  save  in  Christ !  —  no  pardon,  no  purity,  no 
peace,  no  hope,  no  salvation,  for  the  sinner,  but  in  and 
through  Christ.  He  needs  not  now  any  arguments  to 
convince  him  of  the  truth  of  Christianity,  but,  simply, 
language  to  express  his  convictions.  All  documentary 
proofs  of  the  gospel  were  superfluous  ;  he  has  the  wit- 
ness in  himself — in  his  own  experience  ;  for  "  God  hath 
shined  into  his  heart,  to  give  the  light  of  the  knowledge 
of  the  glory  of  himself  in   the  face  of  Jesus  Christ." 


190  THE  leper's  extremity. 

Hence  the  wonder  oi'  every  truly  converted  man  that  he 
should  have  been  so  reluctant  to  go  to  Christ ;  so  perti- 
nacious in  his  refusal  of  offered  mercy ;  so  presumptu- 
ous in  his  views  of  God  ;  and  so  foolishly  intent  on 
some  merely  conscience-quieting  mode  of  saving  him- 
self! Hence  his  pity  for  those  who  are  still  strangers  to 
the  grace  of  God,  and  unwilling  to  accept  the  terms  of 
God's  salvation  ;  his  aversion  to  every  wretched  and  ru- 
inous substitute  for  the  glorious  gospel  of  the  grace  of 
God  ;  his  unreserved  and  conscientious  devotion  to  the 
honor  of  the  "  only  name  under  heaven  given  among 
men,  whereby  we  must  be  saved." 

This,  indeed,  is  one  of  the  earliest  and  most  conclu- 
sive evidences  of  having  been  brought  to  the  saving 
knowledge  of  God  —  a  disposition  to  honor  him  in  the 
way  of  his  appointment,  and  by  an  observance  of  his 
ordinances.  Hence,  Naaman  asked  permission  to  carry 
back  with  him  to  his  own  country  two  mules'  burden 
of  earth  from  the  land  of  Israel,  that  he  might  raise 
with  it  in  Syria  an  altar  to  Jehovah.  What  a  revolu- 
tion must  have  taken  place  in  his  views  and  feelings  be- 
fore he  could  have  thought  of  transporting  a  little  earth 
to  that  country  of  which  he  had  been  so  proud  ;  much 
less  deigned  to  ask  such  a  boon  !  But  it  is  not  greater 
than  the  change  which  every  one  undergoes  who  be- 
comes a  Christian.  There  is  no  miracle  so  great  as 
that  of  a  sinner's  conversion  to  the  faith  of  the  gospel! 

Hence,  also,  Naaman  asked  pardon,  if  at  any  time  he 
should  bow  himself  in  the  house  of  Rimmon.  Strange 
that  the  import  of  this  request  should  have  been  so  per- 
verted—  as  though  the  Syrian   convert  who   had  just 


THE  leper's  extremity.  191 

avouched  Jehovah  to  be  his  God,  and  declared  his  fixed 
and  solemn  purpose  to  worship  Jehovah  alone,  could 
immediately  after  solicit  leave  to  worship  an  idol !  or  as 
though  the  prophet  who  had  been  so  unceremonious  and 
decided  with  the  leper,  could  now,  through  fear  of  giv- 
ing offence  to  the  nobleman,  grant  him  permission  to 
dishonor  the  Most  High  !  The  request,  in  fact,  was 
not  less  indicative  of  Naaman's  conscientiousness,  than 
the  reply  to  it  of  Elisha's  sound  judgment.  As  the  office 
which  the  Syrian  held  in  his  own  country  required  that 
he  should  attend  the  king  when  he  frequented  the  tem- 
ple of  Riramon,  he  could  not  avoid  bending  forward 
when  the  liiiig  leaned  upon  him;  and  therefore  he  in- 
quired whether,  under  the  circumstances,  such  an  act, 
in  reality  an  act  of  accommodation  to  his  master,  could 
be  construed  into  a  participation  of  the  crime  of  idola- 
try. The  fact  of  his  having  made  such  an  inquiry,  proves 
that  his  conscience  was  no  longer  a  defiled  and  evil 
conscience  ;  that  having  been  truly  enlightened,  it  had 
become  most  sensitive,  and  that  whatever  the  prophet's 
judgment  might  have  been,  he  would  have  deferred  to 
it,  even  if  it  had  been  necessary  to  resign  his  office  ;  and 
that  Elisha  told  him  to  go  in  peace,  simply  meant  that 
he  might  discharge  the  duties  of  his  office,  and  yet  pre- 
serve a  clear  conscience.  He  could  not  have  said  oth- 
erwise, after  Naaman  had  declared  that  henceforth  he 
would  sacrifice  unto  none  but  Jehovah,  unless  he  had 
wished  to  proselyte  him  to  the  Mosaic  religion,  and  this 
he  was  under  no  legal  obligation  to  do.  On  the  con- 
trary, though  the  Israelites  were  at  libert}'  to  receive 
proselytes  with  certain  restrictions  as  to  their  genealogy, 


192  THE  leper's  extremity. 

provided  they  offered  themselves  in  sincerity — yet  from 
the  first  they  were  kept  as  much  as  possible  apart  from 
the  rest  of  mankind,  in  order  that  the  Hne  of  the  Mes- 
siah's descent  might  be  well  defined,  and  God's  dealings 
with  mankind  liable  to  no  misconstruction.  The  proph- 
et's reply  shows  that  he  was  neither  unacquainted  with 
the  great  object  of  the  Mosaic  polity,  nor  influenced  by 
any  bigoted  and  sectarian  views.  There  was  hope  for 
the  Syrian,  though  he  returned  to  his  own  country  ;  and 
he  might  there  hold  and  exemplify  his  faith  in  the  true 
God,  even  though  he  did  not  conform  to  the  ceremonial 
enactments  of  IMoses.  He  might  continue  to  serve  his 
king,  yet  be  true  to  God  ;  might  discharge  the  several 
offices  which  his  station  imposed  on  him,  yet  connive 
at  neither  idolatry  nor  hypocrisy.  By  attending  the 
king,  he  would  not  shock  his  prejudices,  nor  incur  his 
displeasure  ;  and  thus  might  be  made  the  instrument  of 
ultimately  leading  h'lm  to  sacrifice  with  himself  at  the 
altar  of  Jehovah.  In  short,  the  commission  of  idolatry 
could  not  have  occurred  to  either  Naaman  or  Elisha ; 
otherwise  the  former  would  have  convicted  himself  of 
insincerity  in  declaring  his  faith  in  God,  and  the  latter  of 
faithlessness  to  his  solemn  trust.  The  fact  that  Naaman 
was  not  without  his  apprehensions  that  it  might  not  be 
lawful,  under  any  circumstances,  to  adopt  a  posture  simi- 
lar to  that  which  the  king  employed  as  a  sign  of  rever- 
ence to  his  idol,  bespoke  the  great  moral  change  which 
he  had  experienced,  and  the  true  state  of  his  mind  tow- 
ard God  and  duty.  It  cannot,  therefore,  be  used  as  a 
precedent,  much  less  furnish  an  apology,  for  sinful 
connivances. 


THE    LKPEU'S    EXTUEMITY.  193 

What  fellowship  hath  righteousness  with  unrighteous- 
ness?    What  agreement  hath  God  with  idols,  or  what 
concord  hath  Christ  with  Belial  ?     Such  are  the  ques- 
tions which  Christianity  proposes  to  every  one  who  has 
been  brought  to  the  knowledge  and  belief  of  Him  who 
"  was  holy,  harmless,  undefiled,  separate  from  sinners  ;" 
and  who  died  to  redeem  and  to  "  purify  unto  himself  a  pe- 
culiar people  zealous  of  good  works."     Under  the  supe- 
rior light  of  the  Christian  dispensation,  "  whatsoever  is 
not  of  faith"  —  performed  without  a  full  persuasion  of  its 
lawfulness  — "  is  sin  ;"  and  even  what  is  "  lawful"  may 
not  always  be  "  expedient."     Hence,  the  Christian  con- 
vert, aware  of  the  deceitfulness  of  sin,  scrutinizes  his 
motives,  as  well  as  guards  his  actions  ;  and  since  our 
judgment  is  liable  to  be  warped  by  custom  and  interest 
—  by  a  desire  to  please  men,  or  even  to  gratify  self  un- 
der the   plea  of  serving  God  —  aims   to  weigh   every 
question  in  relation  to  truth  and  duty  in  the  balance  of 
the   sanctuary.       L  nless   he    "  adorns   the    doctrine   of 
God   his   Saviour   in  all  things,"  and  herein  exercises 
himself  that  he  may  "  always  have  a  conscience  void  of 
offence,"  his  acknowledgment  of  Christ  as  Lord  has  no 
connection  with  "  a  new  heart  and  a  right  spirit."     Man 
may  call  him  "Lord,  Lord,"  and  bow  the  head  to  no 
other  name ;  but  unless  he  desires  to  know  and  do  the 
will  of  God  —  hates  sin,  and  fears  to  sin,  and  aims  to 
purify  himself  even  as  Christ  is  pure  —  he  is  without  the 
primary  and  essential  evidence  of  being  a  new  creature 
in  Christ  Jesus.     He  whose  soul  has  been  cleansed  from 
the  guilt  of  sin,  will  watch  and  pray  that  he   may  b  J 
delivered  from  its  power. 

17 


194  THE    UNPRINCIPLED    SERVANT. 


THE  UNPRINCIPLED  SERVANT. 

It  is  singular,  that,  while  Naaman's  servants  appear 
to  have  been  good,  Elisha's  servant  should,  notwith- 
standing his  superior  advantages  for  knowing  and  doing 
what  is  right,  have  been  devoid  of  generous  sympathy 
and  moral  principle  :  yet  it  is  not  so  remarkable  as  that 
Josiah  should  have  had  such  a  son  as  Jehoiakim,  or 
Christ  a  Judas  among  his  disciples.  But  even  such 
instances  find  their  parallels  at  the  present  day.  We 
cannot  prejudge  with  accuracy  as  to  one's  character  and 
course  through  life,  from  the  instruction  which  he  re- 
ceives, or  the  example  he  enjoys.  We  know,  from 
observation,  that  while  the  son  of  an  infidel  may  become 
religious,  the  son  of  a  Christian  may  be  skeptical ;  that 
while  a  Romanist  may  be  a  good  servant,  a  protestant 
may  be  a  bad  one  ;  that  a  heathen  will  be  true  to  his 
word,  when  a  man  of  superior  moral  illumination  will 
betray  his  trust. 

It  does  not  follow,  however,  that  one  religious  system 
is  as  good  as  another  ;  that  examples  exert  no  influence  ; 
or  that  natural  conscience  and  common  sense — as  David 
Hume  was  wont  to  insinuate  —  constitute  a  better  secu- 
rity against  vice  and  crime  than  the  restraints  which  re- 
ligion imposes.  It  proves  rather  that  a  little  light  is  far 
better  than  the  greatest  advantages  when  neglected  ;  that 


THE    UNPRIiXClPLED    SERVANT.  195 

men  may  be  good,  notwithstanding  a  defective  educa- 
tion and  imperfect  example  —  and  bad,  though  the  influ- 
ence of  both  precept  and  example  may  have  been  brought 
to  bear  on  their  minds ;  that  he  who  breaks  through  the 
restraints  of  a  virtuous  education,  or  withstands  the  mo- 
tives which  a  knowledge  of  Divine  truth  presents,  must 
necessarily  be  worse  than  he  who  has  been  brought  up 
under  the  influence  of  worldly  morality,  and  in  all  things 
aims  to  secure  success  in  life. 

It  might  be  supposed  that  Gehazi  would  have  re- 
spected his  master's  disinterestedness  :*  such  instances 
of  gratuitous  service  must  have  been  then,  as  they  are 
now,  singularly  rare  ;  while  they  seldom  fail  to  elicit 
general  applause.  No  act  wins  to  itself  such  hearty 
approbation  as  an  act  of  disinterested  benevolence  ;  yet 
none  is  so  seldom  imitated.  In  the  estimation  of  Ge- 
hazi, the  prophet  was  doubtless  a  very  good  man  ;  but 
then  he  was  a  weak  man,  if  not  a  fool :  '  He  needs  not 
have  demanded  a  fee  before  giving  his  counsel,  but  he 
should  not  have  rejected  a  fair  expression  of  Naaman's 
gratitude.  It  was  uncourteous  ;  and,  besides,  it  was  as 
easy  for  one  in  Naaman's  circumstances  to  part  with  a 
few  talents  as  to  express  his  thanks.' 

Such  are  the  thoughts  which  often  serve  to  restore 
selfishness  to  the  complacent  consciousness  of  its  own 
superior  wisdom,  when  it  has  been  constrained  to  render 
a  tribute  to  benevolence  ;  such  the  not  unfrequent  judg- 
ment of  the  world  in  relation  to  Christian  self-denial. 
To  forego  temporal  advantages  for  the  sake  of  adhe- 
rence to  moral  principle  ;  to  refuse  a  pecuniary  compen 
•  2  Kings  V.  20-27. 


19G  THE    UAPRIXCIPLED    SERVANT. 

sation  when  so  great  a  benefit  has  been  conferred  ;  or 
be  generous  toward  those  who  are  abundandy  able  to 
recompense  a  meritorious  service  —  is,  in  the  view  of 
many,  an  indication,  if  not  of  imbecile  sensitiveness,  at 
least  of  ruinous  improvidence.  To  act  with  a  reference 
to  duty,  having  an  eye  single  to  God's  glory  and  man's 
good,  is  what  minds  of  a  certain  class  do  not  understand 
—  with  which  they  have  no  sympathy  —  though  they 
may  laud  benevolence,  and  despise  selfishness  !  iSo  re- 
luctant to  condemn  itself,  and  so  deceitful,  is  the  human 
heart. 

Yet  may  any  one  ascertain  his  own  ruling  passion, 
who  will  but  candidly  ask  himself  how  he  would  have 
acted  under  the  circumstances  in  which  another  was 
placed.  It  is  in  this  way  —  by  proposing  a  suppositive 
case  —  that  guilt  has  often  been  detected  ;  and  the  rea- 
son is,  that  however  easy  it  may  be  to  refrain  from  the 
actual  commission  of  wrong,  or  to  deny  a  charge,  it  is 
not  possible  to  preclude  the  suggestions  of  either  covet- 
ousness,  ambition,  or  sensuality.  From  the  recesses  of 
one's  reflective  solitude,  nature  will  speak.  The  world 
knows  not  what  is  going  on  there  ;  but  the  man  himself 
cannot  be  deaf  to  the  language  of  his  own  voiceless 
thoughts,  nor  insensible  to  the  prom^ptings  of  his  own 
selfish  desires.  He  would  have  taken  the  gift ;  he  would 
have  seized  that  opportunity  of  filling  his  coffers  —  of 
establishing  his  fame  —  of  gratifying  his  lust  of  pleasure, 
or  his  pride  of  revenge.  In  the  mirror  of  his  own  heart 
he  sees  himself  to  be  actuated  by  passions  which,  if 
known  to  others,  would  stamp  his  character  with  the 


THE    UNPRINCIPLED    SERVANT.  197 

brand  o[  selfishness  —  be  it  the  ruling  love  of  money,  of 
fame,  or  of  sensual  indulgence. 

It  might  be  thought,  moreover,  that  Gehazi  would  at 
least  have  had  such  respect  for  his  master's  honor  as  not 
to  shake  that  high  opinion  of  the  prophet's  goodness 
with  which  Naaman  had  departed.  By  soliciting  the 
talents,  he  might  not  only  place  his  master  seemingly  in 
an  equivocal  attitude,  but  give  occasion  for  Naaman  to 
doubt  whether  the  religion  of  an  Israelite  was,  in  fact, 
purer  than  that  of  a  Syrian  —  thus  tending  to  seduce 
him  from  the  worship  which  he  had  so  recently  em- 
braced. But  what  was  all  this  to  one  whose  heart  was 
set  on  gain?  And  what  is  the  honor  of  religion,  or  the 
welfare  of  souls,  to  one  who  has  surrendered  his  heart 
to  mammon  ?  Even  now  there  may  be  found  those  who 
care  not  how  much  they  impede  the  cause  of  Christ,  or 
what  reproach  they  bring  on  his  name,  so  long  as  they 
can  subserve  their  mercenary  purposes. 

This  servant,  under  the  plea  of  providing  for  two 
young  men  of  the  sons  of  the  prophets,  could  serve 
himself — having  no  concern  for  them,  except  so  far  as  an 
allusion  to  their  circumstances  might  elicit  sympathy, 
and  secure  the  coveted  treasure.  This  is  one  of  the 
expedients  to  which  covetousness  not  unfrequently  re- 
sorts to  accomplish  its  ends.  What  are  pious  frauds  — 
all  pathetic  appeals  to  fictitious  cases  of  poverty  and  dis- 
tress, of  widowhood  and  woe,  either  to  raise  money  or 
to  lower  just  demands  —  all  violations  of  truth,  either 
that  the  sympathies  of  the  benevolent  may  be  enlisted, 
or  that  good  may  result  to  others  —  but  so  many  in- 
stances of  the  fraud  which  Gehazi  practised  on  Naaman  ? 

17* 


198  THE    UNPRIN'CIPLED    SERVANT. 

His  sphere  of  observation  must  be  very  circumscribed 
who  knows  not  that  covetousness  often  gratifies  itself 
under  the  plea  of  doing  good;  or  seeks  its  own,  while 
professing  to  give  to  others  an  opportunity  of  minister- 
ing to  the  wants  of  the  deserving,  or  of  contributing  to 
some  worthy  object. 

At  a  time  when  Gehazi  should  have  been  especially 
true  to  the  interests  of  the  prophet  —  when  the  gracious 
miracle  which  had  been  wrought  should  have  led  him, 
not  only  to  respect  his  master,  but  to  fear  and  worship 
God,  and  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  influence  the  servants 
of  Naaman  to  espouse  the  same  faith  with  their  master, 
— he  had  but  one  thought,  one  desire,  and  that  was  — 
money  ! 

But  all  times  are  alike  to  the  covetous  —  times  of 
trial  as  well  as  of  prosperity  ;  times  of  revival,  as  well  as 
of  declension,  in  religion  ;  and  the  Sabbath,  as  if  it  were 
a  secular  day  !  When  men  should  be  mourning  over 
their  sins,  or  embracing  their  opportunities  of  doing 
good ;  when  they  cannot  be  blind  to  the  wonders  God 
has  wrought  in  turning  sinners  from  the  error  of  their 
ways ;  and  when  it  behooves  them  to  be  most  circum- 
spect and  prayerful  —  then  are  they  intent  on  their  Self- 
ish gains !  Amid  all  scenes,  whether  of  mercy  or  of 
judgment,  all  they  think  of,  or  care  for,  is  their  pecu- 
niary interests !  It  is  no  time  to  get  gain,  when  we 
cannot  seek  it  without  showing  an  utter  disregard  for 
God's  glory  and  man's  spiritual  good. 

He  who  surrenders  his  heart  to  covetous  desires,  at 
once  jeopards  his  integrity.  He  may  not  intend  to  vio- 
late any  known  principle  of  right ;  but  as  riches  become 


THE    UNPRINCIPLED    SERVANT.  199 

more  an  object  of  desire,  just  in  that  proportion  will 
there  ensue  a  disregard  for  the  means  which  may  be 
employed.  Any  selfish  passion  may  lead  to  the  adop- 
tion of  exceptionable  means,  but  this  is  the  especial 
tendency  of  avarice :  the  mind  seemingly  loses  sight  of 
moral  distinctions,  and  all  regard  for  the  rights  of  others, 
in  its  desire  to  secure  its  end.  The  power  of  conscience 
must  indeed  be  paralyzed,  before  any  heinous  offence 
can  be  deliberately  committed  in  order  to  selfish  acqui- 
sition ;  but  as  avaricious  desires  are  opposed  by  the 
principles  of  honesty,  these  principles  are  always  liable 
to  evasion  through  the  deceitfulness  of  sin.  If  there  be 
too  much  conscience  to  admit  of  a  direct  falsehood,  self- 
ishness will  contrive  to  sanction  equivocation,  artifice, 
and  deceit.  Hence  the  sinister  reserve,  or  tempting 
insinuation  ;  the  advantage  often  taken  of  ignorance,  of 
necessity,  and  of  prevailing  humor ;  the  exaggerated 
representation,  or  the  undue  depreciation  :  all  the  phases 
of  petty  cheating,  and  the  numberless  tricks  of  trade. 
No  man  can  be  supremely  avaricious,  and  at  the  same 
time  morally  upright.  Tried  at  the  bar  of  a  commer- 
cial exchange,  he  might  be  acquitted  ;  but  weighed  in 
the  balances  of  the  sanctuary,  he  would  be  found  want- 
ing. If  the  desire  for  riches  be  not  controlled  by  prin- 
ciple, principle  will  be  subordinate  to  avarice. 

It  is  folly,  however,  to  commit  sin  in  hope  of  secrecy. 
Nothing  is  more  common  than  to  presume  on  the  con- 
cealment of  a  guilty  deed.  Were  it  not  for  the  hope 
of  eluding  detection,  even  they  who  have  no  fear  of  God 
before  their  eyes  would  shrink  from  crime.  But  God 
has  so  arranged  the  present  constitution  of  things,  that  a 


200  THE    UNPRINCIPLED    SERVANT. 

man's  sin  will  sooner  or  later  find  him  out.  No  matter 
what  his  subterfuges  —  as  surely  as  he  is  regardless  of 
truth  or  justice,  so  surely  will  something  happen  to  ex- 
cite suspicion,  and  thus  to  destroy  confidence  in  his 
character.  However  cautiously  he  may  have  proceeded, 
with  whatever  adroitness  his  dishonest  plans  have  been 
executed,  he  has  perhaps  outwitted  himself;  or  while 
intently  on  his  guard,  some  form  of  remark  or  sudden 
change  of  countenance  has  served  to  disclose  the  guilty 
secret.  Thus  it  is  that  fraud  seldom  escapes  detection  ; 
and  that  he  who  has  been  guilty  of  a  dishonest  act,  can 
never  reinstate  himself  in  public  estimation,  though  chi- 
canery may  have  extricated  him  from  the  grasp  of  the 
law. 

It  needs  no  prophet's  eye  to  detect  the  man  who  has 
dared  to  violate  any  of  the  moral  laws  of  his  being. 
Either  circumstances  so  conspire  against  him  as  to  pre- 
clude the  presumption  of  his  innocence,  or  he  is  be- 
trayed by  his  own  conscience  Doubtless  Elisha,  in  so 
readily  penetrating  the  secret  of  his  guilty  servant,  was 
aided  by  the  Omniscient  eye ;  and  so  were  the  apostles 
in  the  case  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira  :  but  why  have  such 
instances  of  the  supernatural  detection  of  guilt  been  re- 
corded, if  not  to  convince  us  that,  though  there  are  no 
inspired  men  now,  the  God  of  the  prophets  and  apostles 
still  lives  and  reigns  —  the  Supreme  moral  governor  of 
Ihe  universe  !  — taking  cognizance  of  every  soul  of  man  ; 
noting  their  every  thought,  and  purpose,  and  act,  Avhether 
known  and  punishable  in  this  world  or  not  ?  Yes  ;  go 
where  we  may  —  do  what  we  may  —  we  cannot  go  tvhere 
God  is  not,  nor  do  irJiaf  Gnd  sr.rs  vol. 


THE    UNPRINCIPLED    SERVANT.  201 

Naaman  had  no  knowledge  of  Gehazi's  character,  but 
the  prophet  knew  him  better  than  he  knew  himself. 
With  what  surprising  accuracy  did  he  penetrate  his 
desiorns  !  What  did  this  man  care  for  the  sons  of  the 
prophets  ?  what  to  him  was  the  cause  of  truth,  or  the 
honor  of  God  ?  Long  had  he  coveted  money  for  selfish 
purposes  ;  and  now  he  is  felicitating  himself  on  having 
procured  the  means  of  his  release  from  all  menial  ser- 
vices. A  few  days  more,  and  he  will  be  looked  up  to 
as  the  proprietor  of  vineyards  and  flocks !  Instead  of 
any  longer  serving,  he  himself  will  be  waited  upon  — 
the  servant  forgotten  in  the  possessor  of  an  estate  ! 

So  thought  Gehazi ;  and  thus  has  many  a  man  been 
tempted  to  defraud.  A  growing  reluctance  to  labor; 
dissatisfaction  with  small  gains  ;  a  feverish  desire  to  leave 
one's  employers  —  to  do  business  on  one's  own  account, 
or  to  procure  a  splendid  residence;  to  revel  in  luxury, 
and  affect  display  :  these  are  the  feelings  which  have 
led  so  many  astray  from  the  paths  of  an  honest  liveli- 
hood. In  feelings  such  as  these  we  may  detect  the 
cause  of  almost  every  act  of  fraud  among  youth  who 
have  been  necessitated  to  labor  for  subsistence. 

But  covetousness  defeats  its  own  end.  To  gain  at 
the  expense  of  truth  and  honesty,  is  to  sacrifice  all  that 
renders  life  desirable  :  it  is  to  blight  one's  prospects  of 
earthly  good  ;  to  involve  others,  it  may  be,  as  well  as 
ourselves,  in  disgrace  and  ruin  !  "  The  leprosy,  there- 
fore, of  Naaman,"  said  the  prophet  to  Gehazi,  "  shall 
cleave  unto  thee  and  to  thy  seed  forever!"  Fearful 
sentence  !  but  no  sooner  uttered  than  executed  ;  for  he 
went  out  from  his  presence  a  leper  as  irJilte  as  snmn. 


202  "    THE    UNPRINCIPLED    SERVANT. 

Appalling  change  in  the  aspect  of  one  who  but  a  few 
hours  since  glowed  with  health,  and  bounded  over  the 
plain  in  eager  pursuit  of  the  departed  Syrian  !  —  but  not 
so  great  as  the  change  that  has  come  over  his  spirit. 
What  now  does  he  think  of  the  talents  of  gold  procured 
at  the  expense  of  infamy  and  disease  ?  What  has  he  done  ? 
What  is  he,  and  his  children  too  —  his  children's  children  ! 
Who  can  describe  the  anguish  of  his  spirit?  How  cheer- 
fully would  he  surrender  his  ill-gotten  gains  ;  how  readily 
link  his  lot  with  poverty  and  servitude  forever,  could 
he  only  be  recovered  from  that  dreadful  malady  ! 

Is  his  folly  so  palpable  and  pitiable  ?  Does  any  one 
think  that  he  would  not  —  no,  not  for  the  riches  of  Croe- 
sus—  have  exposed  himself  to  the  possibility  of  so  fear- 
ful a  punishment?  Let  him  beware,  then,  how  he 
envies  the  prosperity  of  the  foolish  !  —  lest,  tempted  by 
the  prospect  of  securing  the  means  of  luxurious  living 
for  himself  and  his  children,  he  be  led  to  deviate  from 
the  principles  of  right. 

Far  from  being  an  idle  story,  this  case  of  the  proph- 
et's unprincipled  servant  is  fraught  with  the  most  solemn 
h'sso/is  —  lessons  which,  if  unheeded,  may  be  to  the 
worldling  a  source  of  endless  regret.  Simple  as  this 
narrative  seems,  it  meets  its  illustraticn  from  day  to  day. 
"  There  is  no  peace,"  saith  God,  "to  the  wicked;" 
and  it  requires  no  uncommon  powers  of  observation  to 
peiceive  that  God  has  so  ordered  events  as  to  preclude 
all  gratification  from  unlawful  acquisitions  :  "  The  way 
of  the  wicked  shall  not  prosper." 

^fanv  a   man   who  aimed   bv  unjust  gains  to  enrich 


THE    UNPRINCIPLED    SERVANT.  SO-*^ 

himself,  has  thereby  both  disgraced  and  ruined  himself; 
who  anticipated  great  possessions,  has  forfeited  even  the 
means  of  a  common  livelihood  ;  who  pictured  to  himself 
houses  and  lands,  has  by  one  false  step  found  himself 
immured  in  a  dungeon  !  Go  to  that  mansion  which  was 
built  in  unrighteousness  ;  and  tell  us  if,  amid  all  its  splen- 
dor and  luxury,  you  can  descry  any  token  of  happiness. 
Look  at  the  children  of  that  man  who  enriched  himself 
by  unlawful  means  for  their  sake,  and  say  if  their  father's 
property  has  not  proved  to  them  a  curse.  Or,  enter 
into  that  dismal  prison-house :  there  encased,  as  in  a 
living  tomb,  we  see  a  man  expiating  the  crimes  of  his 
youth.  Many  a  long  day  has  passed  since  he  was  shut 
in  from  the  scenes  and  intercourse  of  this  busy,  bustling 
world  ;  and  never  again  can  he  be  where  or  what  he 
was  !  But  what  would  he  not  give  to  be  able  to  retrace 
that  one  stej)  ?  Poor  man  !  could  he  only  have  foreseen 
the  consequences  of  his  fraud  —  foreseen?  He  well 
knew  the  consequences  of  being  detected,  but  he  hoped 
to  escape;  and  now — (here  he  is,  and  will  be  —  not 
only  stripped  of  his  gains,  but  left  a  prey  to  the  undying 
vultures  of  remorse  ! 

This,  however,  is  only  one  out  of  innumerable  in- 
stances;  and  as  such,  they  constitute yac^s  in  the  moral 
government  of  Almighty  God.  Be  our  judgment  of 
God  what  it  may  —  we  cannot  form  too  elevated  con- 
ceptions of  his  goodness  and  mercy  —  yet  who  can  deny 
these  facts,  or  arrest  the  temporal  consequences  of  any- 
one act  of  youthful  crime  ?  How  often  are  these  con- 
sequences to  be  recognised  in  the  poverty,  and  disease, 
and  wretchedness,  of  those  who  yielded  to  temptation 


204  THE    UNPRINCIPLED    SERVANT. 

in  the  morning  of  their  days!  —  and  if  so,  there  is  no 
unfounded  reason  for  the  apprehension  that  the  condi- 
tion of  the  immortal  may  he  affected  by  the  deeds  of 
the  mortal.  God  may  and  does  commiserate  the  sin- 
ner:  nevertheless,  he  who  violates  the  moral  laws  of 
his  being,  must  suffer  the  penalty.  To  sever  the  con- 
nection between  crime  and  punishment,  were  to  change 
the  moral  constitution  of  the  universe. 

Is  it  inconsistent  with  our  notions  of  the  Divine  good- 
ness to  suppose  that  solely  in  consequence  of  any  deed 
done  in  this  life,  our  futiue  condition  will  be  eternally 
irremediable?  Then,  the  leprosy  with  which  Gebazi 
was  judicially  visited  constitutes  a  reflection  on  the  same 
attribute  of  Deity  ;  and  not  less  so  a  thousand  facts 
which  may  be  gathered  from  the  course  of  human 
events.  Inder  certain  circumstances,  and  before  reach- 
ing a  certain  point,  a  wicked  man  may  reform,  and  per- 
haps retrieve  his  affairs  ;  but  they  who  go  on  in  the 
ways  of  wickedness,  though  the  consequences  of  their 
actions  be  long  delayed,  meet  at  last  with  inevitable 
destruction. 

Co,  skeptic!  —  contemplate  the  remediless  effects 
which  the  forger,  the  gambler,  or  the  debauchee,  has 
brought  on  himself:  and  as  you  gaze  with  wonder  and 
pity,  you  may  discern  amid  his  rags  and  infamy,  or  in 
his  chains  and  remorse,  some  faint  image  of  that  man's 
eternal  condition  who  prostituted  his  powers  and  squan- 
dered life  in  the  pursuit  of  selfish  gratifications. 

Or,  is  it  said  that  eternal  punishment  is  dispropor- 
tionate to  the  sins  of  a  short  life  ?  So  might  it  have 
been  thou.oht    that   the   irnnsfer  of  Naainan's  disease  to 


THE    UNPRINCIPLED    SERVANT.  205 

Gehazi  was  severer  punishment  than  he  deserved  ;  but, 
whatever  might  have  been  the  thoughts  of  men  respect- 
ing the  case,  the  lejrrosij  clung  to  him  and  to  his  seed 
forever ;  nor  does  the  record  of  natural  punishments 
fail  to  furnish  many  a  parallel  to  this  remarkable  case. 
Simply  for  having  gratified  his  appetite,  the  drunkard  is 
punished  with  the  loss  of  health  and  happiness,  of  prop- 
erty and  character.  Through  the  revels  of  one  brief 
night,  the  debauchee  has  brought  on  himself  incurable 
disease  and  indelible  infamy  ;  while  the  robber,  though 
only  a  iew  dollars  may  have  been  taken  from  their 
rightful  owner,  is  doomed  by  the  constitution  of  society 
to  imprisonment  for  years.  Is  it  hard  that  one  must 
forego  so  much  for  a  single  crime,  or  for  some  selfish 
gratification  ?  But  our  feelings  cannot  obstruct  the  nat- 
ural course  of  justice  ;  nor  can  it  be  denied,  that  natu- 
ral punishments  are  often  greater  than  the  selfish  advan- 
tages or  guilty  pleasures  from  which  they  flow  ;  and 
even  the  skeptic  must  acknovi^ledge,  in  reference  to  na- 
ture's God  —  as  we  reverently  say  of  the  God  of  the 
Bible  —  "his  thoughts  are  not  as  our  thoughts,  nor  his 
ways  as  our  ways."  Sometimes  mere  want  of  atten- 
tion, inadvertence,  or  thoughtless  neglect,  is  followed 
by  the  most  serious  consequences — consequences  as 
fatal  as  may  result  from  any  flagrant  violation  of  the  laws 
of  God  ;  and  with  this  startling  fact  before  us,  who  is  so 
irrational  as  not  to  fear  that  eternal  punishment  may 
naturally  follow  even  the  few  sins  of  a  short  life  ? 

Surely  as  Gehazi  went  out  from  the  presence  of  the 
man  of  God  "  a  leper  ivhite  as  snoic,''^  so  surely  shall 
"  the  rich  man  fade  airay  in  his  ways  :"  so  surely,  the 

IS 


20C  THE    UNPRINCIPLED    SERVANT. 

covetous  man  shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
Thougli  he  may  not  have  violated  the  principles  of  truth 
and  justice,  his  heart,  as  Gehazi's,  is  set  on  mammon. 
He  has  consequently  perverted  the  end  of  his  being, 
and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God ;  for  he  has  loved 
gold  more  than  his  Maker  —  worshipped  gold  more  than 
Jehovah,  and  he  must  abide  the  issue.  He  did  not 
seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God.  What  to  him  were  its 
treasures  of  righteousness  ?  He  was  satisfied  with  the 
world  as  his  portion,  and  he  can  have  no  other.  He 
loved  the  world,  and  he  must  perish  with  the  world. 
Having  bartered  his  soul  for  money,  he  can  reasonably 
expect  no  mercy  —  he  will  receive  none  !  Let  him  flat- 
ter himself  in  his  own  eyes  as  he  may,  and  affect  to 
look  down  on  those  who  would  rather  forego  every 
thing  than  give  up  the  testimony  of  a  good  conscience, 
or  deny  Christ, — though  all  things  may  seem  to  favor 
his  course ;  yet  "  as  the  Lord  liveth,"  that  man  "  is  re- 
served to  the  day  of  destruction" — he  will  "  be  brought 
forth  to  the  day  of  wrath." 

Who  that  looked  on  Gehazi,  covered  as  he  was  with 
so  frightful  a  disease,  must  not  have  been  deterred  from 
unlawful  gains  —  contented  even  in  the  midst  of  his 
poverty  ?  And  where  is  the  man  who  can  steadily  con- 
template the  end  of  the  wicked,  as  made  known  to  us 
through  the  sacred  oracles,  without  being  convinced, 
that  "  contentment  with  godhness  is  great  gain  !"  — and, 
as  he  himself  has  in  all  things  sinned  and  come  short  of 
the  glory  of  God,  without  being  urged  to  flee  for  ref 
uge  to  that  blessed  hope  which  is  set  before  the  sinner 
in  the  gospel  of  the  grace  of  God. 


THE    SKEPTIC.  207 


THE  SKEPTIC. 

Not  long  after  the  events  to  which  the  preceding 
section  refers,  the  king  of  Syria  renewed  hostiHties 
against  the  king  of  Israel  ;  but  his  predatory  incursions 
and  repeated  ambuscades  were  to  no  purpose.  Jehoram 
was  invariably  forewarned  of  the  designs  of  the  Syrians, 
and  as  often  extricated  from  the  dangers  to  which  he 
was  exposed.  At  last  they  began  to  suspect  who  it  was 
that  apprised  the  king  of  Israel  of  their  schemes  to  en- 
trap him.  How  they  heard  of  Elisha,  we  have  no  means 
of  ascertaining.  It  is  not  improbable  that  Naaman,  on 
his  return  to  the  court  of  Syria,  spread  his  fame  ;  and 
thence  they  might  have  concluded  that  a  man  who 
wrought  such  a  wonderful  cure,  could  easily  reveal  the 
greatest  secrets.  Actuated  perhaps  by  curiosity,  not 
less  than  by  animosity  toward  the  prophet  who  had  baf- 
fl3d  their  aims  to  seize  the  person  of  Jehoram,  they 
accordingly  determined  to  surprise  Elisha  at  Dothan ; 
but  being  warned,  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  of  their  inten- 
tions, instead  of  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  Syrians,  he 
smote  them  with  blindness,  and  led  them  even  to  the 
gates  of  Samaria.  With  the  greatest  ease  all  might  then 
have  been  put  to  the  sword  ;  and  had  it  not  been  for 
the  interference  of  the  prophet,  Jehoram  would  have 
inflicted   summarv  vengeance   on   his  captive  enemies. 


208  THE    SKEPTIC. 

They  were,  however,  Hberally  supplied  with  food  and 
drink,  and  sent  back  to  their  own  country.  Remarka- 
ble as  was  such  an  act  of  generosity,  it  had  no  effect  on 
Benhadad  but  to  increase  his  rancorous  feelings,  and 
inspire  him  with  a  renewed  determination  to  conquer 
Israel.  Jehoram  could  not  cope  with  his  formidable 
army.  He  was  driven  from  the  field,  and  constrained 
to  shut  himself  within  the  walls  of  Samaria.  For  months 
the  city  was  subjected  to  a  close  siege,  and  at  last  re- 
duced to  the  extremity  of  famine.  So  great  was  the 
scarcity,  that  both  avarice  and  natural  affection  yielded 
to  the  cravings  of  hunger.  No  sum  was  too  large  for 
the  vilest  morsel ;  while  even  mothers  began  to  prey  on 
their  offspring.  An  affecting  instance  is  related  :  on  a 
certain  day,  a  mother  appealed  to  the  justice  of  the  king, 
against  her  neighbor,  on  the  ground  that  after  her  child 
had  been  eaten  between  them,  her  neighbor  now  refused 
to  slaughter  hers,  though  she  had  solemnly  engaged  to 
do  so  in  turn  ! 

Under  such  circumstances,  what  could  be  said  or 
done  ?  Threatened  with  the  sword  from  without,  and 
unable  to  resist  the  ravages  of  famine  within  the  walls 
of  the  city,  the  king,  in  his  despair,  forgot  his  obliga- 
tions to  Elisha  ;  and,  fancying  that  he  was  the  cause  of 
all  the  public  distress,  determined  to  put  him  to  death. 
It  was  indeed  a  preposterous  supposition,  but  not  more 
so  than  that  the  pagan  emperors  should  have  ascribed 
any  calamity  that  befell  the  Roman  empire  to  the  wrath 
of  the  gods  against  the  Christians  ;  that  Nero  should 
have  imputed  to  them  the  conflagration  of  Rome ;  or 
that  men  should   often   attempt   to   resolve  all  national 


THE    SKEPTIC.  209 

judgments  into  natural  causes.  It  is  now,  however,  as 
it  was  of  old,  more  common  to  assign  any  reason  for 
such  occurrences  than  to  admit  the  right  one.  Man 
would  unjustly  criminate  others  rather  than  acknowledge 
his  own  offences ;  condemn  the  good,  than  admit  that 
he  himself  is  the  sinner;  proceed  to  execute  an  unrigh- 
teous sentence,  sooner  than  bemoan  his  own  sins. 

It  is  the  order  of  Providence  that  rash  judgments 
shall  be  in  due  lime  rebuked  and  reversed.  No  man 
ever  gave  an  order,  or  took  a  step,  under  the  influence 
of  passion,  which  he  did  not  afterward  see  cause  to  re- 
gret. Elisha  foresaw  that  the  king  would  repent  of  his 
rash  order  the  moment  he  was  left  to  his  own  reflec- 
tions ;  and  that  he  would  shortly  even  come  in  person 
to  stay  the  execution  of  his  own  sentence  :  and  accord- 
ingly no  sooner  had  the  messenger  of  death  been  de- 
tained at  the  door  of  the  prophet's  house  by  the  elders 
of  Samaria,  than  the  king  arrived.  But  his  joy  on  find- 
ing the  prophet  still  alive,  quickly  gave  place  to  an 
ebullition  of  passion  against  the  prophet's  God  :  '  Of 
what  use  to  attempt  to  serve  a  Being  who  exposed  him 
and  his  people  to  such  distresses?  Elisha  might  do  as 
he  pleased  ;  but,  for  himself,  he  would  no  longer  strive 
to  live  in  obedience  to  God's  laws.' 

We  are  shocked  by  such  impiety ;  but  the  sentiment 
which  he  passionately  avowed  is  now  often  felt,  though 
it  may  be  seldom  expressed.  The  earth-bound  mind 
is  forward  to  judge  of  the  value  of  religion,  solely 
from  its  relation  to  our  present  well-being  ;  and  losing 
sight  of  all  spiritual  interests,  in  its  desire  to  compass 
worldly   ends,  is  apt  to  conclude    that  God's   service 


210  THE    SKEPTIC. 

must  be  alike  profitless  and  irksome.  Even  they  who 
have  been  brought  to  the  "  knowledge  of  God,"  are 
slow  to  realize  that  he  has  a  right  to  do  with  them  as 
seemeth  unto  him  best ;  that  the  present  is  a  state  of 
moral  trial  and  discipline  ;  that  their  reward  is  not  in 
those  things  vi^hich  the  earthly  mind  covets ;  and  that 
by  the  greatest  afflictions  he  may  only  design  their 
greater  good.  Thus,  the  ill  success  of  a  righteous  man 
in  his  temporal  affairs  has  too  often  given  rise  to  the  de- 
sponding sentiment,  "Verily,  I  have  cleansed  my  heart 
in  vain,  and  washed  my  hands  in  innocency  !"  Thus, 
too,  when  one  who  has  long  served  God  is  overtaken 
by  adversity,  or  visited  by  a  series  of  afflictions,  he  may 
detect  in  himself  a  feeling  that,  if  embodied  in  language, 
would  be  equivalent  to  the  declaration,  "  The  Lord  has 
dealt  unjustly ;  he  has  rewarded  me  evil  and  not  good." 
In  some  instances  the  result  of  the  trial  proves  that,  not- 
withstanding the  man's  professions,  and  seemingly  good 
works  for  years,  he  is  devoid  of  true  faith  in  God. 
With  the  continuance  of  his  worldly  difficulties,  he 
loses  his  interest  in  religion  ;  and  becoming  estranged 
from  God's  service,  gives  himself  to  the  world  with 
desperate  eagerness  of  aim;  —  as  if  he  would  make 
amends  for  time  that  had  been  worse  than  wasted  ;  or 
revenge  himself  on  those  who  still  serve  God  ! 

As  an  impulsive  son,  when  reduced  to  an  extremity 
throuirh  his  own  indiscretions,  has  threatened  to  dis- 
grace  himself,  unless  his  father  will  replenish  his  ex- 
hausted means  of  selfish  gratification  ;  so  the  king  might 
have  thought,  that  by  threatening  to  forsake  Israel's 
God   for  the  gods  of  Syria,  the  prophet  would  work  a 


THE    SKEPTIC.  211 

miracle  for  his  relief;  but,  though  nothing  could  have 
grieved  that  holy  man  more  than  such  an  act  on  the  part 
of  him  whose  life  he  had  repeatedly  preserved  ;  though 
the  public  distress  had  undoubtedly  affected  his  own 
mind  as  deeply  as  the  king's  ;  yet  he  could  not  act  but 
as  God  directed,  nor  speak  but  as  the  Spirit  dictated. 
Man  must  wait  God's  pleasure  ;  and  God,  in  his  own 
time,  and  in  his  own  way,  will  vindicate  the  glory  of  his 
sovereign  rule. 

'  Be  not  rash,  O  king !  have  but  patience  a  little 
while,  and  the  scarcity  of  which  you  now  complain, 
will  be  converted  into  abundance  ;'  for  "  thus  saith  the 
Lord,  To-morrow,  about  this  time,  shall  a  measure  of 
fine  flour  be  sold  for  a  shekel,  and  two  measures  of  bar- 
ley for  a  shekel,  in  the  gate  of  Samaria."  Who,  unless 
inspired  of  Heaven,  would  have  made  such  an  announce- 
ment—  especially  when  his  life  was  in  imminent  jeop- 
ardy ?  What !  to-morrow  ?  within  twenty-four  hours, 
shall  so  great  plenty  succeed  this  appalling  scarcity  ? 
It  did  indeed  seem  like  trifling  with  the  king's  creduli- 
ty, and  mocking  the  people's  misery.  We  should  not 
be  surprised,  if  all  the  people,  who  heard  the  prophet 
speak  thus,  had  looked  upon  him,  if  not  as  a  cunning 
man  whose  object  was  to  put  off"  the  king,  at  least  as 
a  visionary  —  so  impossible  did  it  seem  that  any  relief 
could  be  extended  to  the  city. 

How  the  king  received  this  assurance  we  are  not 
told;  but  one  of  the  bystanders  went  so  far  as  to  ex- 
press his  skepticism  in  the  most  daring  terms  :  "  Be- 
hold, if  the  Lord  would  make  windows  in  heaven, 
might  this  thing  be?"     This  was   a  certain   lord,   on 


212  THE    SKEPTIC. 

whose  hand  the  king  leaned  ;  but  though  he  was  l)igh 
in  authority,  and  his  skeptical  reply  might  have  met  a 
response  from  all  who  heard  it,  Elisha,  so  far  from  at- 
tempting to  reason  with  him,  or  to  explain  to  him  the 
grounds  on  which  he  believed  that  relief  would  be  af- 
forded, abruptly  addressed  him  in  the  ominous  language 
of  prophetic  announcement :  "  Behold,  thou  shalt  see 
it  with  thine  eyes,  but  shalt  not  eat  thereof"*  Thus 
they  parted :  each  one  to  await  the  issue.  The  one 
calmly  confident  that  his  prediction  will  be  verified  ;  the 
other  not  the  less  persuaded,  in  his  own  mind,  that  there 
can  be  no  relief  for  the  city  ;  but  neither  able  to  do  any 
thing  to  thwart  the  other. 

It  all  rests  with  God  —  with  Him  in  "  whose  hand  is 
the  heart  of  kings,"  and  who  "  doeth  according  to  his 
will  in  the  army  of  heaven,  and  among  the  inhabitants 
of  the  earth."  It  was  he  who  made  this  announcement 
of  returning  plenty  to  the  king,  by  the  lips  of  Elisha  ; 
and  shall  his  servant  be  put  to  shame  ?  Shall  the  wick- 
ed have  occasion  to  triumph  over  a  prophet  of  the 
Lord?  Man  does  not  see  how  such  an  event  can  be 
brought  about;  but  God  knows  how  to  bring  it  to  pass. 
With  more  ease  than  man  can  turn  his  hand,  does  God 
accomplish  his  purposes,  whether  of  mercy  or  of  ven- 
geance. Every  element  yields  to  his  control ;  every 
creature,  from  an  angel  to  an  insect,  is  subject  to  his  au- 
thority. He  speaks,  and  it  is  done  ;  he  commands,  and 
it  stands  fast.  With  such  a  being  for  his  enemy,  what 
can  man  do,  though  millions  call  him  king,  and  nations 
throng  his  standard  "?     With  such  a  friend,  what  may 

*  2  Kings,  chap.  vii. 


THE    SKEPTIC.  213 

not  the  feeblest,  most  neglected,  most  oppressed,  among 
the  sons  of  men,  expect  and  hope  for  ?  Who  can  elude 
his  grasp,  or  withstand  his  anger?  —  who  separate  us 
from  his  love,  or  frustrate  the  purposes  of  his  grace  ? 

Another  sad  day  has  passed  over  Samaria  ;  and  the 
night  has  again  set  in,  lo  afford  relief  for  a  few  fitful 
hours  from  the  gnawings  of  hunger  and  the  sights  of 
ghastly  woe.  The  hush  of  midnight  is  over  the  city: 
no  sound  heard,  save  here  and  there  the  low  moan  of 
famishing  poverty,  or  the  feeble  utterance  of  a  prayer 
for  help  to  the  God  of  Jacob.  What  if  the  cry  of  the 
Syrians  should  be  borne  on  the  wind  ?  Who  among 
the  startled  sleepers  could  man  the- walls;  or  would  not 
rather  fall  before  the  enemy,  than  live  to  eke  another 
day  of  want  and  misery  ?  But  while  the  Samaritans 
sleep  on,  the  Syrians  wake  !  Strange  noises  fill  their 
ears  —  growing  louder  and  more  distinct,  like  the  noise 
of  chariots  and  the  noise  of  horsemen  —  even  the  noise 
of  a  great  host.  Consternation  spread  from  rank  to 
rank  of  Benhadad's  army;  and,  not  being  able  to  ac- 
count for  the  noise,  except  on  the  supposition  that  the 
king  of  Israel  had  been  joined  by  the  kings  of  the  Hit- 
tites  and  of  the  Egyptians,  and  were  fast  approaching, 
they  resolved  forthwith  to  raise  the  siege  :  and  so  pre- 
cipitate was  their  retreat,  they  left  behind  them  "their 
tents,  and  their  horses,  and  their  asses,  even  the  camp, 
as  it  was." 

In  what  way  such  noises  were  produced,  or  whether 
some  sudden  alarm  caused  them  to  imagine  the  sounds 
of  an  approaching  army,  we  cannot  decide.  Who  but 
God  could  have  devised  and  effected  such  a  plan  for 


214  THE    SKEPTIC. 

the  dispersion  of  Israel's  enemies?  —  even  that  God  who 
overwhelmed  Pharaoh  and  his  host  in  the  Red  Sea ; 
who,  in  one  brief  night,  smote  with  death  a  hundred 
fourscore  and  five  thousand  of  Sennacherib's  army  ;  who 
defeated  Nebuchadnezzar's  malice  toward  Daniel ;  and 
who  caused  over  against  the  candlestick,  on  the  plaster 
of  the  wall  of  Belshazzar's  palace,  the  finger  as  of  a 
man's  hand  writing!  Well  might  David  exclaim  — 
"  Thou,  even  thou,  art  to  be  feared!"  — "  There  were 
they  in  great  fear  where  no  fear  was ;"  and  in  hke  man- 
ner He  can  distract  us  with  terrors,  when  no  terrors  are 
to  be  seen  without.  As  by  the  breath  of  his  nostrils  he 
can  sweep  us  from  the  earth,  so  can  he  send  an  invisi- 
ble arrow  into  the  soul ;  filling  us  with  amazement,  while 
others  may  be  ministering  to  our  pleasure  ;  wringing  our 
hearts  with  secret  anguish,  while  others  are  envying  us 
our  means  of  happiness. 

With  what  noiseless  celerity  God  accomplished  his 
purpose,  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  the  watch- 
men of  Samaria  had  no  knowledge  of  Benhadad's  re- 
treat. It  was  so  ordered,  however,  that  some  lepers 
should  be  the  first  to  communicate  the  unexpected  in- 
telligence. These  had  been  thrust  from  the  city — for 
the  ceremonial  part  of  the  Levitical  code  was  observed, 
even  when  the  Israelites  were  regardless  of  the  moral 
law  ;  and  having  lived  for  several  days  under  the  walls, 
they  at  last  determined  to  risk  the  sword  of  the  Syrians 
rather  than  die  of  hunger.  But  as  they  approached  the 
Syrian  lines,  what  was  their  surprise  to  find  neither  senti- 
nels nor  pickets  to  oppose  their  progress  !  nor  was  there 
a  soldier  nor  a  camp-follower  to  be  seen,  where  but  at 


THE    SKEPTIC.  215 

the  going  down  of  yesterday's  sun  the  thousands  and 
tens  of  thousands  of  Benhadad's  forces  invested  the  city  ; 
but,  instead  of  the  army,  their  tents,  with  all  their  horses 
and  cattle,  and  all  their  treasures.  The  poor  lepers 
were  not  backward  to  satisfy  their  appetites,  nor  even 
to  appropriate  to  themselves  some  of  the  valuable  effects, 
forgetting — like  many  a  man  at  the  present  day,  whose 
health  is  too  precarious  to  admit  of  his  ever  enjoying 
the  riches  he  is  so  intent  on  acquiring  —  that  the  golden 
vessels  they  were  so  anxious  to  secure  could  be  of  no 
manner  of  use  to  them.  Strange,  pitiable  cupidity  in 
persons  so  wretchedly  diseased !  but  not  more  so,  to 
one  who  views  things  aright,  than  the  cupidity  of  any 
dying  sinner.  "  For  what  shall  it  profit  a  man,  if  he 
shall  gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose  his  own  soul?" 

Public  calamity  tests  individual  character.  If  one  is 
supremely  selfish,  it  will  appear  in  his  utter  disregard 
for  others ;  and  thus  these  lepers  had  no  thought  of  the 
sufferings  of  their  countrymen,  until  they  had  not  only 
feasted  to  satiety,  but  secured  as  many  golden  vessels 
as  they  could  with  safety.  Then,  making  a  virtue  of 
necessity,  they  hastened  back  and  reported  what  they 
had  seen  to  the  sentinel  on  the  walls,  who  immediately 
sent  word  to  the  king.  How  natural  that  the  king  should 
have  been  suspicious  of  treachery  ;  and  that,  to  guard 
against  a  surprise,  he  should  have  sent  out  parties  to 
reconnoitre  :  nor  was  it  until  he  had  satisfactorily  ascer- 
tained that  the  Syrians  had  really  left  their  camp,  that 
he  permitted  the  inhabitants  to  go  out  after  the  supplies. 
Here,  then,  was  abundance  for  all  Samaria ;  and  thus 
it  came  to  pass  that  "  a  measure  of  fine  flour  was 


216  THE    SKEPTIC. 

sold  for  a  shekel,  and  two  measures  of  barley  for  a 
shekel." 

But  where  is  he  who  sneeringly  asked,  "  If  the  Lord 
should  make  windows  in  heaven,  might  this  thing  be  V" 
Does  he  not  feel  rebuked  for  his  skepticism  ?  does  he 
not  behold  the  superabundance  which  God  has  laid 
open  to  the  people  ?  Yes  ;  but  having  by  the  king's 
order  been  stationed  at  the  gate  of  the  city,  he  was 
thrown  down  in  the  haste  and  rush  of  the  famished 
people  after  the  food,  and  thus  trodden  under  foot  until 
lie  died.  This  is  repeated,  and  the  event  carefully 
compared  with  the  prediction  :  the  sacred  writer,  after 
again  alluding  to  the  occasion  on  which  the  prediction 
was  lUtered,  seemingly  taking  pains  to  add,  "  And  so  it 
fell  out  unto  him  ;  for-the  people  trod  upon  him  in  the 
gate,  and  he  died." 

There  was  an  exact  fulfilment ;  and  it  could  not  have 
taken  place,  had  not  the  prophet  been  divinely  inspired. 
In  this  respect  it  is  not  unworthy  of  comparison  with 
some  of  the  predictions  which  Christ  himself  uttered. 
The  fulfilment,  for  example,  of  Christ's  prediction  of 
Peter's  denial,  depended  on  so  many  concurring  cir- 
cumstances, as  to  preclude  all  reasonable  grounds  for 
supposing  that  it  was  a  mere  casual  suggestion. 

Even  on  the  supposition  that  Elisha  merely  ventured 
the  assertion,  he  could  not  have  foreknown  that  the 
[Syrians  would  be  frightened  away  by  imaginary  noises  ; 
nor  that  they,  in  raising  the  siege,  would  leave  all  their 
provisions  behind  them  ;  much  less  that  the  nobleman 
would  be  stationed  at  the  gate  of  the  city,  or  that  while 
there  he  would  be  overthrown  by  the  people  as  they 


THE    SKKPTIG.  217 

rushed  forth  to  pillage  the  deserted  camp.  If  it  were 
not  to  the  last  degree  improbable  that  the  Syrians  would 
be  induced  at  once  to  abandon  the  siege,  and  give  up 
all  their  effects  to  the  very  people  whom  they  had  been 
laboring  for  months  to  reduce  to  such  an  extremity  of 
suffering,  that  they  would  be  glad  to  capitulate  —  it  cer- 
tainly was,  that  he  who  stood  so  high  in  authority  and 
honor  as  the  king's  right-hand  man,  would  be  the  only 
one  out  of  the  city  who  should  be  suddenly  killed,  with- 
out tasting  of  the  abundance  which  he  had  been  permit- 
ted to  behold. 

Men  are  often  disappointed  in  their  most  sanguine 
expectations  —  sometimes  fail  when  on  the  eve  of  suc- 
ceeding, or  die  at  the  very  moment  the  world  is  about 
to  reward  their  efforts.  But  this  man  had  no  expecta- 
tion of  coming  plenty  —  not  if  the  heavens  should  open  ! 
And  that  he  should  live  only  to  see  it,  without  enjoying 
it,  could  have  been  known  only  by  Him  "  who  knoweth 
the  end  from  the  beginning :"  thus  proving  that  God 
both  inspired  the  prophet  and  destroyed  the  skeptic. 

There  is  nothing  charged  against  this  man  :  no  breach 
of  the  ceremonial  nor  of  the  moral  law ;  no  want  of  fealty 
to  the  king,  nor  of  regard  for  the  people.  He  might 
have  been  an  upright  man  in  all  the  relations  of  life  — 
a  brave  soldier,  an  able  statesman,  and  a  lover  of  his 
country  ;  but  he  was  an  infidel.  The  sin  which  cost 
him  his  life  was  unbelief — the  positive  rejection  of  the 
truth  of  God's  word  —  instigated  in  part  by  the  circum- 
stances of  extreme  scarcity  in  which  he,  with  the  inhab- 
itants of  Samaria,  were  placed  ;  and  more  particularly 
from  the  fact  that  he  was  unable  to  see  in  what  way  such 

19 


1218  THE    SKEPTIC. 

a  prediction  could  be  fulfilled :  thus,  as  it  were,  testing  the 
truth  of  God's  word  by  his  own  understanding  —  meas- 
uring the  attributes  of  the  great  God  by  his  own  finite 
capacities  !  This  seems  to  us  to  have  been  no  less  pre- 
posterous than  presumptuous.  What  was  he,  that  he 
should  have  questioned  God's  ability  to  make  good  the 
prophet's  word  ?  With  quite  as  much  propriety  might 
he  have  denied  the  existence  of  a  God,  because  he  found 
himself  unable  to  explain  the  mysteries  of  his  own  being, 
or  the  phenomena  of  the  universe.  O  vain  man  !  what 
knowest  thou  of  thyself?  How,  then,  canst  thou  hope 
to  fathom  the  deep  things  of  God  ? 

Perhaps  he  was  jealous  of  the  prophet's  influence, 
and  aimed,  by  questioning  his  word,  to  infect  the  king's 
mind  with  some  suspicion  of  the  prophet's  intention  to 
escape.  Or,  it  may  be  —  as  he  was  a  man  of  rank  — 
that  he  was  simply  desirous  of  showing  his  entire  free- 
dom from  all  vulgar  credulity.  It  is  supposable,  more- 
over, that  he  had  not  recognised  the  hand  of  Providence 
in  the  condition  to  which  the  city  was  reduced  ;  and  if 
so,  he  would  not  have  been  forward  to  accredit  any  spe- 
cial interposition  of  Heaven  in  its  behalf.  It  has  been 
observed  with  wonder,  that,  in  times  of  public  calamity, 
there  is  unwonted  forgetfulness  of  God  and  duty :  men 
then  grow  bold  in  iniquity,  or  studiously  contrive  to 
shut  out  all  serious  thoughts ;  nor  will  even  the  procla- 
mation of  a  national  fast  induce  them  to  join  God's  peo- 
ple in  supplicating  his  mercy.  But  it  will  be  found 
that  such  men  have  been  without  God  in  their  thoughts. 
By  them  the  calamity  is  referred,  not  to  God,  who  "  for 
our  sins  is  justly  displeased,"  but  to  some  natural  cause 


THE    SKEPTIC.  219 

—  to  the  air,  and  it  must  be  changed ;  to  the  food,  and 
there  must  be  a  substitute  ;  to  imprudence  and  exposure, 
and  these  must  be  avoided  :  and  rehef  must  come  by 
some  sensible  and  appropriate  means  —  perceived  by 
human  science ;  not  by  prayer  to  God  and  hope  in  his 
mercy,  from  an  invisible  source,  and  in  an  inscrutable 
way  ! 

But  whatever  thoughts  might  have  passed  through 
the  nobleman's  mind,  we  may  find  in  our  own  day  not 
a  few  parallel  instances  of  skepticism.  Inflated  with 
pride,  some  presume  to  gauge  God's  truth  by  their  own 
narrow  views  and  private  feelings.  In  their  view,  there 
was  no  necessity  for  a  Revelation,  or  the  doctrines  of 
the  Bible  are  inconsistent  with  the  dictates  of  their  un- 
derstanding. They  cannot  see  how  God  could  have 
created  the  world  out  of  nothing ;  how  the  world  was 
formed  in  six  days,  or  how  death  is  the  consequence  of 
sin.  It  seems  inexplicable  to  them  how  the  Word  should 
have  been  made  flesh  ;  or  how  Christ  can  unite  in  him- 
self the  attributes  of  Godhead  with  the  properties  of  a 
man  ;  how  he  could  have  risen  from  the  dead ;  how  it 
is  that  the  dead  will  be  raised,  and  how  men  will  be 
hereafter  judged  according  to  their  deeds  done  in  the 
body.  These,  and  many  other  things,  embraced  in  the 
discoveries  of  the  Bible,  they  cannot  understand ;  and 
therefore  they  reject,  or  modify  and  pervert,  to  suit  their 
notions  or  support  their  theories  —  overlooking  the  fact 
that  a  Revelation  necessarily  implies  truths  which  could 
not  have  been  excogitated  by  the  human  mind  ;  nay, 
seemingly  ignorant  of  God's  infinite  supremacy,  and  thus 
bringing  down  the  great  God  to  a  level  with  his  crea- 


220  THE    SKEPTIC. 

tures  —  resolving  the  infinite  into  the  finite!  as  though, 
in  comparison  with  the  Divine  perfections,  man's  power 
and  wisdom  could  be  aught  else  than  weakness  and  folly  ! 

The  nobleman's  skepticism  not  only  tended  to  impugn 
the  prophet's  veracity,  but  absolutely  to  derogate  from 
God's  uncreated  and  sovereign  authority.  With  hardly 
less  effrontery  might  he  have  contradicted  the  prophet, 
or  challenged  God  to  do  what  he  himself  conceived  to 
be  an  impossibility  ! 

But  such  is  virtually  the  treatment  which  God's  word 
not  unfrequently  encounters  from  skeptics.  Instead  of 
deferring  to  its  authoritative  teachings,  they  are  rather 
forward  to  ask,  '  How  can  these  things  be  ?'  or,  instead 
of  taking  the  pains  to  inquire,  they  at  once  prejudge  and 
condemn.  Strangers  to  that  sobriety  of  thought,  that 
modesty  of  judgment,  and  docility  of  spirit,  which  char- 
acterize the  lover  of  truth,  they  are  either  volatile  and 
conceited,  or  captious  and  rash.  Unaccustomed  to  re- 
flect on  the  great  things  pertaining  to  God  and  the  soul, 
they  are  controlled  by  the  mind  of  the  flesh. 

Had  the  Samaritan  lord  only  used  the  faculties  with 
which  he  had  been  endowed,  he  might  have  ascertained 
whether  Elisha  was  a  true  prophet ;  or  had  he  bethought 
himself  for  a  moment,  he  would  have  concluded  that 
nothing  could  be  too  difficult  for  God  to  do  —  that  he 
who  had  once  rained  manna,  might  as  easily  send  corn  ; 
but  simply  because  he  did  not  see  how  the  city  could 
be  so  speedily  and  abundantly  sup])lied  with  food,  he 
rejected  the  truth  of  God's  word.  Hence,  unbelief  is 
derogatory,  not  only  to  God's  perfections,  but  to  our 
own  high  faculties  of  thought.     It  is  wronging  ourselves 


THE    SKEPTIC.  221 

as  well  as  God,  to  question  his  word,  and  therefore 
doubly  criminal  —  frustrating  at  once  God's  benevo- 
lence, and  the  end  of  man's  rational  constitution. 

If,  therefore,  it  was  right  for  God  to  convince  this 
Samaritan  lord  of  the  unreasonableness  of  his  skepti- 
cism, it  was  not  wrong  to  punish  him  for  his  impious 
presumption  and  excuseless  unbelief  He  who  would 
not  believe  the  promise,  did  not  deserve  to  partake  of 
the  blessing. 

Man,  in  the  hour  of  his  extremity,  is  prone  either  to 
doubt  God's  word,  or  to  despair  of  succor.  We  have 
already  seen  that  the  king  was  on  the  eve  of  abandoning 
his  faith  ;  and  it  may  be  that  some  of  the  elders  were 
ready  to  respond  to  the  expression  of  his  feelings :  but 
then  it  was  that  God  interposed,  by  the  voice  of  his  ser- 
vant, and  bade  them  hope.  So  did  God  come  forth  to 
the  rescue  of  his  chosen  people,  at  the  very  moment 
when,  hedged  in  as  they  were  between  precipitous  cliffs 
on  the  one  hand,  and  the  Egyptian  garrisons  on  the 
other  —  with  a  relentless  enemy  behind  them,  and  an 
impassable  sea  before  them  —  their  destruction  seemed 
to  be  inevitable.  God's  time  to  help  is  when  all  human 
resources  are  exhausted.  Yes,  when  the  strength  of  his 
people  is  gone,  then  God  appears,  in  his  all-sufficiency, 
to  succor,  and  to  comfort,  and  to  save.  Various  illus- 
trations of  this  truth  might  be  gathered  from  the  sacred 
page  ;  thereby  teaching  us  that,  whatever  the  condition 
in  which  we  are  placed  by  his  providence,  we  should 
always  wait,  and  hope  on,  though  hope  be  long  delayed. 
No  miracles  may  now  be  wrought  in  our  behalf;  but 
are  there  no  "  great  and  precious  promises"  that  we  do 

19* 


222  THE    SKEPTIC. 

well  to  despair?  Even  though  our  comforts  should  be 
taken  from  us,  can  he  not  turn  our  sorrow  into  joy,  our 
darkness  into  light  ?  To  despair,  is  to  distrust  him  who 
cannot  be  false  to  his  word  ;  it  is  to  limit  him  whose  re- 
sources are  as  boundless  as  the  infinity  of  his  nature. 
"  Is  the  Lord's  hand  waxed  short?"  said  God  to  Moses, 
when  it  seemed  to  him  that  all  the  herds,  and  even  all 
the  fish  of  the  sea,  could  not  suffice  to  feed  so  great  a 
multitude  in  the  wilderness.  "  Thou  shalt  see  now 
whether  my  word  shall  come  to  pass  unto  thee  or  not." 
The  more  God's  people  trust  in  him,  the  more  they 
honor  him  and  magnify  his  perfections.  The  stronger 
our  faith,  the  greater  the  glory  that  redounds  to  God's 
name.  The  more  implicit  our  reliance,  the  deeper  will 
be  our  sense  of  his  favor,  and  the  broader  the  shield  of 
his  protection.  "  Thou  wilt  keep  him  in  perfect  peace 
whose  mind  is  stayed  on  thee  ;  because  he  trusteth  in 
thee."  —  "O  fear  the  Lord,  ye  his  saints,  for  there  is 
no  want  to  them  that  fear  him."  —  "They  that  seek 
the  Lord  shall  not  want  any  good  thing."  —  "Behold, 
God  is  greater  than  man."  Independent  in  his  authority, 
he  does  according  to  his  will.  Omnipotent,  his  purpose 
cannot  be  frustrated.  Infinite  in  wisdom  and  good- 
ness, with  him  is  "  no  variableness,  neither  shadow  of 
turning."  As  he  proved  himself  to  be  in  the  days  of 
holy  men  of  old,  such  is  he  now.  He  cannot  deny 
himself;  if  his  word  fail  — 

"  The  pillared  firmament  is  rottenness, 
And  earth's  base  built  on  stubble." 

To  dispute  God's  authority,  is  disobedience  ;  but  to 
question  his  word,  is  to  add  insult  to  rebellion.     If  a 


THE    SKEPTIC.  223 

good  man  is  sorely  wounded  by  a  want  of  confidence  in 
his  integrity,  how  much  more  must  such  a  being  as  God 
be  affected  by  any  reluctance  on  the  part  of  his  crea- 
tures to  either  accredit  his  word  or  rely  on  his  promises  ! 
Hence,  though  God  suffered  the  Samaritan  lord  to  be 
convinced,  he  did  not  permit  him  to  participate  in  the 
general  joy.  So  when  Israel  skeptically  inquired,  "Can 
God  furnish  a  table  in  the  wilderness?"  we  are  told  that 
the  Lord  heard  it,  and  was  wroth.  And  when  such 
numbers  perished  in  the  wilderness,  we  are  told  that  it 
was  because  of  their  unbelief.  By  unbelief,  men  so  dis- 
honor and  displease  God,  that  they  deprive  themselves 
of  all  the  benefits  which  he  may  have  held  in  reversion 
for  them  —  actually  frustrating  the  designs  of  his  mercy 
and  grace.  Hence  the  importance  attached  to  faith  in 
the  testimony  of  his  son  Jesus  Christ. 

"  Ye  brainless  wits,  ye  baptized  infidels, 
Ye  worse  for  mending,  washed  to  fouler  stains, 
The  ransom  was  paid  down,  and  paid  — 
What  can  exalt  the  bounty  more  1  — for  you." 

Hence,  also,  we  are  warned  "  against  an  evil  heart  prone 
to  unbelief"  — "  lest  we  should  fall  after  the  same  ex- 
ample of  unbelief." 

In  his  punishment  of  unbelievers,  God  will  be  gov- 
erned by  no  respect  of  persons.  But  how  often  is  this 
principle  of  his  government  overlooked  or  unheeded ; 
how  many  flatter  themselves  in  their  own  eyes,  until  it 
seems  to  them  that  God  cannot  and  will  not  judge  them 
as  he  may  others  ;  that  some  other  standard  of  judgment 
is  due  to  them  —  men  who  are  so  exalted  in  public  esti- 
mation, clad  with  so  much  honor,  or  gifted  with  such 
noble  powers  !     Religion  is  well  enough  for  the  general 


224  THE    SKEPTIC. 

mind,  but  for  themselves,  they  are  above  all  vulgar  prej- 
udices ;  they  are  not  to  be  cajoled  —  nothing  short  of 
demonstrative  evidence  can  satisfy  them  I  Or,  they  are 
of  too  much  consequence  in  the  sight  of  men,  to  be  con- 
demned by  God  for  a  mere  defect  in  faith  !  So  might 
he  have  reasoned  on  whose  arm  the  king  of  Israel 
leaned  ;  but  though  he  v/ore  the  badge  of  nobility,  and 
enjoyed  the  highest  proofs  of  royal  confidence  and  favor, 
yet  was  he  trodden  to  death  by  the  people  in  the  gate- 
way, and  simply  because  he  had  presumed  to  question 
the  word  of  the  x\lmighty  !  Instead  of  being  an  apology, 
his  rank  was  an  aggravation  of  his  unbelief;  and  God, 
in  causing  him  to  be  trampled  to  death,  because  of  his 
unbelief,  thereby  proclaimed  through  all  the  land,  that, 
though  the  advantages  of  birth  and  station  might  serve 
to  extenuate  crime  among  men,  who  are  apt  to  be  misled 
by  sympathy  or  blinded  by  selfish  interest,  no  one  of 
the  sons  of  men  should  anticipate  exemption  from  the 
just  punishment  due  to  unbelief,  be  his  worldly  distinc- 
tion from  others  what  it  may.  In  his  sight,  all  men,  as 
the  subjects  of  his  government,  are  on  an  equality  —  in- 
dividually responsibl(3  for  their  belief  as  well  as  their 
deeds  ;  nor  will  the  great  God,  after  the  manner  of 
some  corrupt  legislation,  punish  in  a  poor  and  obscure 
man  what  he  would  overlook  in  a  man  of  rank  and  in- 
fluence. An  earthly  judge  may  be  either  liribed,  flat- 
tered, or  intimidated  ;  but  to  suppose  t!)at  the  Judge  of 
all  the  earth  could  be  unjust,  is  to  forget  that  he  is  God, 
and  not  man.  He  now  calls  on  all  men,  without  dis- 
tinction, to  believe  in  Christ ;  and  woe  be  to  him  —  no 
matter  what  his  office  in  the  state,  or  position  in  societ}' 


THE    SKEPTIC.  225 

—  what  the  superiority  of  his  endowments,  or  the  great- 
ness of  his  achievements  —  who  rejects  the  testimony 
which  he  has  given  of  his  Son  !  "  He  that  beHeveth 
not  shall  be  damned!"  And  who  has  said  this,  but 
the  high  and  holy  One?  "Hath  he  said,  and  shall  he 
not  do  it  ■?  hath  he  spoken,  and  shall  he  not  make  it 
good  ?  The  Lord  is  not  a  man,  that  he  should  lie  ;  nor 
the  son  of  man,  that  he  should  repent."      • 

Whatever  difficulties  may  embarrass  one's  specula- 
tive inquiries,  or  however  plausible  the  arguments  by 
which  he  may  contrive  to  hush  the  alarms  of  his  guilty 
conscience  —  though  he  may  think  that  greater  evidence 
should  be  furnished  for  a  mind  so  peculiarly  constructed 
as  his  —  the  only  question  which  will  be  put  to  him,  and 
which  peremptorily  requires  an  immediate  answer,  is 
this :  Does  he  believe  God's  word,  and  rest  for  salva- 
tion from  the  wrath  to  come,  on  the  faith  in  Christ?  If 
not,  then  there  is  no  alternative,  no  excuse,  no  help  for 
him  —  his  doom  is  sealed  !  As  the  Samaritan  lord  was 
trodden  to  death  in  the  gate,  so  surely  will  that  unbe- 
liever "  be  punished  with  everlasting  destruction  from 
the  presence  of  the  Lord." 

It  is  not  more  certain  that  God's  promises  to  the 
riffhteous  will  be  fulfilled,  than  that  he  will  execute  his 
threatenings  against  the  wicked.  All  that  God  has 
promised  to  the  former,  they  shall  receive  and  enjoy. 
Yet  a  litde  while,  and  they  shall  "  lift  up  their  heads, 
and  behold  their  redemption  drawing  nigh."  Singled 
out  of  "  every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and 
nation,"  they  shall  enter  on  the  riches  of  "  the  inherit- 
ance of  the  saints  in  light." 


226  THE    SKEPTIC. 

But  what  has  become  of  those  who  rejected  the  dis- 
coveries of  God's  word,  and  woidd  not  accredit  his 
promises  to  the  faithful  ?  Have  they  then  the  evidence 
that  God  hath  "  spoken  unto  us  in  these  last  days  by 
his  Son,"  and  that  he  is  able  to  save  those  who  put 
their  trust  in  him  ?  Do  they  even  behold  what  the 
righteous  are  permitted  to  enjoy?  Yes  —  there  is  heav- 
en !  There  are  the  shining  ranks  of  angelic  intelligence ; 
there  the  rejoicing  multitudes  whose  robes  have  been 
made  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb ;  there  the  re- 
splendent and  ineffable  manifestations  of  the  Divine 
presence : — 

"  It  is  glory  beyond  all  glory  ever  seen, 
By  waking  sense  or  by  the  dreaming  soul !" 

Fain  would  they  now  enter  that  world  of  light,  and  pu- 
rity, and  bliss  ;  but  ah  !   it  is  too  late. 

God  is  faithful,  having  promised  —  and  so  must  he  be 
true  to  himself,  having  threatened,  —  "The  righteous 
enter  life  eternal ;  but  the  wicked  go  away  into  everlast- 
ing punishment." 


TiaE    APOSTATE.  227- 


THE  APOSTATE. 

The  history  of  the  Jewish  kings,  though  it  abounds 
in  remarkable  facts,  is  wanting  in  all  that  secures  the 
interest  of  profane  history.  We  read  of  political  move- 
ments, military  equipments,  and  bloody  battles,  but  all 
is  narrated  in  a  manner,  not  to  exalt  the  regal  actor,  but 
to  exhibit  his  principles  ;  not  to  incite  a  vain  ambition, 
or  thirst  for  martial  glory  —  but  to  impress  the  fear  of 
God,  and  the  duty  of  obedience.  Great  achievements 
arrest  attention,  and  great  works  rise  upon  our  view ; 
but  they  appear  of  subordinate  moment  compared  with 
the  religious  character  of  him  whose  reign  is  depicted. 
In  profane  history,  man  is  seen  in  his  proud  authority, 
ambitious  plans,  and  selfisli  manoeuvres  ;  in  sacred  his- 
tory, God  is  seen  in  his  sovereignty  over  man  —  true  to 
his  word,  and  just  in  his  dealings,  though  he  may  long 
"  wait  to  be  gracious." 

In  the  former,  religion  is  state  policy,  and  the  priest 
but  second  to  the  king ;  in  the  latter,  religion  is  the  su- 
preme law  of  the  realm,  and  the  king  subordinate  to  the 
prophet.  The  king  is  placed  on  trial,  and  it  soon  ap- 
pears whether  he  is  a  righteous  or  a  wicked  man,  and 
whether  his  reign  will  be  prosperous  or  disastrous. 
Whatever  his  principles  or  his  passions  —  his  virtues, 
his  vices,  or  his  foibles,  all  are  seen,  through  his  recorded 


228  THr!    APOSTATE. 

acts,  with  unerring  distinctness.  The  history  of  other 
kings,  however  instructive  to  those  who  are  called  to 
occupy  posts  of  authority  and  rule,  can  be  of  no  practi- 
cal benefit  to  the  general  mind.  After  traversing  the 
voluminous  pages  of  a  Rollin  or  a  Hume,  much  as  we 
have  gathered  respecting  any  king  in  his  relation  to  his 
subjects,  we  know  little  or  nothing  of  him  as  a  man,  in 
his  relation  to  God.  But,  in  the  sacred  record,  a  few 
sentences  suffice  to  reveal  the  actual  character  of  a  ruler, 
not  merely  as  he  seemed  to  men,  but  as  he  was  in  the 
sight  of  God.  Hence,  as  the  example  of  the  king  to 
his  subjects,  such  may  it  now  be  (though  at  so  long  an 
interval)  to  us  —  either  a  pattern  or  a  warning.  Every 
man,  whatever  his  sphere  in  life,  is  now  tested,  as  were 
the  kings  of  old  ;  and  the  inspired  record  of  their  acts 
is  as  a  mirror,  in  which  he  may  behold  his  own  moral 
self.  Tlie  correctness  of  this  view  will  appear  from  con- 
sidering the  acts  of  Amaziah,  the  eighth  king  of  Judah, 
son  and  successor  of  .Toash.* 

At  the  commencement  of  his  reign,  he  seemed  to  be 
most  gentle  and  placable  in  his  temper,  and  strongly 
disposed  to  serve  God.  He  subjected  his  father's  mur- 
derers to  the  penalty  of  the  law,  but  spared  their  chil- 
dren ;  steadfastly  opposed  the  worship  of  idols,  but  over- 
looked the  practice  of  sacrificing  in  the  high  places. 
There  was  in  him  a  strange  blending  of  justice  and 
lenify,  of  zeal  and  laxity,  of  religious  principles  and 
selfish  interests  ;  and,  though  to  the  eye  of  his  subjects 
he  presented  the  aspect  of  a  good  man  and  righteous 
prince,  yet  his  heart  was  not  perfect :  he  had  no  single- 

*  2  r^hrnniclps.  chap,  xxv. 


THE    APOSTATE.  229 

ness  of  eye,  no  unreserved  devotedness,  no  true  humil- 
ity. Under  a  prepossessing  exterior  lurked  a  love  of 
excitement  that  betokened  an  unquiet  reign  ;  a  thirst 
for  power  that  might  one  day  involve  him  in  war  ;  a 
pride  that  might  betray  him  into  malignant  passions  ;  and 
a  regard  for  pelf  that  endangered  his  fealty  to  God.  He 
supported  the  temple-service,  yet  his  heart  was  more  in 
military  tactics  than  in  the  worship  of  God.  He  showed 
great  respect  for  the  law,  but  it  was  not  after  "  the  man- 
ner of  David." 

Without  consulting  the  Divine  pleasure,  he  projected 
an  expedition  against  the  Edomites  ;  and  though  God 
had  favored  him,  in  enabling  him  to  collect  so  large  and 
well-equipped  an  army,  that  there  was  no  likelihood  of 
any  king  competing  with  him  in  numbers,  yet,  as  a 
precautionary  measure,  he  must  hire  a  hundred  thou- 
sand allies,  and  these,  too,  from  among  an  idolatrous 
people!  They,  however,  were  at  last  dismissed,  at  the 
instance  of  a  prophet  whom  God  had  sent  to  remon- 
strate with  him  against  the  measure,  and  who  assured 
him  that,  notwithstanding  his  loss  of  the  hundred  talents 
which  he  had  advanced  to  his  mercenaries,  God  was 
able  to  recompense  him  a  hundredfold.  But,  in  yield- 
ing to  the  prophet,  it  is  not  improbable  he  was  influ- 
enced partly  by  the  fear  of  losing  his  life  should  he  per- 
sist in  his  plan,  and  ])arily  by  the  hope  of  some  great 
reward  for  his  pecuniary  sacrifice.  Duty  entered  not 
into  his  councils  ;  and  hence,  success  only  served  to 
develop  the  latent  and  ruling  elements  of  his  character. 

He  had  defeated  the  armies  of  Edom  in  a  pitched 
battle,  and,  thinking  to  spread  the  opinion  of  his  strength 

20 


230  THE    APOSTATE. 

and  the  terror  of  his  arms,  had  forced  ten  thousand  of 
the  fugitives  over  a  precipice ;  and  now  he  is  rejoicing 
in  his  triumph,  and  instead  of  acknowledging  his  obli- 
gations to  the  God  of  battles,  actually  paying  homage 
to  the  idol-gods  of  the  conquered  Edomites !  In  vain 
did  the  prophet  rebuke  him  for  worshipping  idols  which 
had  not  been  able  to  deliver  their  votaries  from  the  power 
of  his  sword.  So  far  from  listening  to  such  timely  coun- 
sel, he  sternly  bade  the  prophet  forbear,  on  penalty  of 
his  displeasure ;  and,  yielding  to  the  promptings  of  his 
pride  and  revenge,  not  only  determined  to  inflict  sum- 
mary vengeance  on  those  who,  on  being  dismissed  from 
his  army,  had  plundered  the  country  through  which 
they  returned,  but  to  challenge  the  king  of  Israel.  This 
defiance,  though  at  first  treated  with  contemptuous  ridi- 
cule, Jehoash  was  eventually  forced  to  accept.  Tlie 
sarcastic  parable  of  the  wild  beast  treading  down  a  proud 
thistle  that  had  demanded  the  daughter  of  a  strong  and 
stately  cedar  in  marriage,  served  to  exasperate  the  proud 
conqueror  of  Edom  ;  and,  without  admitting  to  himself 
the  possibility  of  defeat,  he  forthwith  invaded  the  do- 
mains of  his  kingly  neighbor.  But  he  has  presumed 
on  his  own  greatness,  underrated  his  enemy's  strength, 
and,  above  all,  forgotten  that  God  had  a  controversy 
with  him  for  his  obstinate  idolatry.  The  battle-field  of 
Bethshemesh  signalized  his  defeat,  and  sealed  his  dis- 
grace. Instead  of  returning  as  a  hero  with  the  trophies 
of  victory,  he  is  himself  a  prisoner  —  carried  back  to 
Jerusalem  by  him  whom  he  had  so  haughtily  challenged, 
and  there  forced  not  only  to  give  up  a  large  number  of 
hostages  to  secure  the   peace,   but  to  witness  the  sad 


THE    APOSTATE.  231 

demolition  of  a  part  of  the  wall  of  the  city,  and  the  pil- 
lage of  the  temple  and  palace.  Still,  his  reverses  did 
not  humble  him  ;  and  though  he  was  permitted  to  reign 
for  fifteen  years  after  his  captivity,  yet  he  "  did  not  re- 
turn unto  the  Lord."  On  the  contrary,  he  waxed  worse 
and  worse,  until  his  iniquities  and  idolatries  were  no 
longer  to  be  endured,  even  by  his  own  subjects.  In 
vain  did  he  attempt  to  flee  from  the  conspiracy  which 
had  been  formed  against  him :  Lachish  could  furnish 
no  hiding-place  for  one  whom  "  God  had  determined 
to  destroy."  He  who  was  once  surrounded  by  three 
hundred  thousand  troops,  is  now  without  a  solitary  aid. 
He  who  thrust  ten  thousand  of  his  fellow-creatures  from 
off  the  brink  of  an  awful  precipice,  now  falls  himself — 
unpitied,  unlamented  —  by  the  hand  of  his  servants! 

But  the  case  of  Amaziah  is  only  one  of  the  numerous 
instances  of  apostasy  and  its  consequences  which  stain 
the  annals  of  Judaism.  We  look  back  on  such  instances 
with  astonishment  —  especially  when  we  consider  that 
their  religion  had  been  authenticated  and  established  by 
a  series  of  miraculous  events,  and  that  temporal  rewards 
and  punishments  invariably  followed  the  Hebrew  rulers, 
according  as  they  obeyed  or  disobeyed  the  Divine  re- 
quirements. But  though  length  of  days  and  general 
prosperity  were  the  portion  of  those  who  conscientiously 
observed  the  Mosaic  enactments  —  and  poverty,  disease, 
war,  and  a  violent  death,  the  threatened  consequences 
of  their  violation — yet  die  very  fact  that  the  Mosaic 
economy  was  burdened  whh  minute  and  irksome  cere- 
monies, might  have  induced  an  indisposition  to  obey, 
and  rendered  every  temptation  to  remissness  or  neglect 


232  THE    APOSTATE. 

only  the  more  insidiously  effective ;  while  familiarity 
with  the  regular  course  of  things  under  that  dispensation 
might  have  impaired,  in  the  Hebrew  mind,  the  force 
which  seems  to  us  to  he  attached  to  the  idea  of  tempo- 
ral sanctions.  It  is  a  question,  moreover,  whether  simi- 
lar reverses  in  life  were  not  observable  among  the  sur- 
rounding heathen  nations  ;  and  if  so,  the  human  mind 
might  then,  as  now,  have  been  prone  to  rest  in  second 
causes  :  or,  while  observing  the  course  of  things,  many 
a  one,  through  the  "  deceitfulness  of  sin,"  might  have 
secretly  indulged  the  hope  of  sinning  with  impunity. 
Besides,  as  the  change  which  the  government  of  the 
Hebrews  had  undergone  in  its  external  form,  from  the 
judicial  and  patriarchal  to  the  monarchical,  its  original 
theocratic  element  was  gradually  lost  sight  of;  and  it  is 
not  improbable  they  came  at  last  to  think  that  they 
should  vie  in  their  manners  and  customs  with  the  kings 
of  the  heathen  nations.  Such  were  seen  to  be  both 
large  and  flourishing,  notwithstanding  their  idolatries  ; 
and  thus  the  Hebrew  kings  might  have  been  tempted  to 
think  that  the  gods  of  those  ancient  kingdoms  —  Assyria 
and  Egypt  —  were  not,  after  all,  so  inferior  in  power  to 
Jehovah  himself.*     Aside  from  these  considerations  — 

*  The  causes  of  apostasy  from  a  pure  faitli  are  always  analogous, 
however  different  the  circumstances  of  its  development,  or  the  objects 
of  idolatrous  devotion.  Most  instances  that  may  be  gathered  from  the 
records  of  early  Christianity,  were  owing,  not  so  much  to  persecution  — 
for  this  tends  to  energize  rather  than  to  disperse  tlie  adherents  of  any 
cause  —  but  to  the  seductive  influences  of  Grecian  mytholopy.  Chris- 
tianity imposed  restraints  on  the  wonted  tliouglits  and  passions  of  human 
nature,  while  paganism  was  not  incompatible  with  the  most  hccntious 
skepticism,  'i'o  us,  the  deities  of  Olympus  are  no  less  idols,  because 
less  gross  in  their  forms,  than  those  which  apostate  Israel  worshipped. 
Yet  we  can  readily  conceive  by  how  easy  a  process  a  mind  susceptible 
of  lively  impressions,  might  have  been   gradually  led,  notwithstanding 


THE    APOSTATE.  233 

that  the  kings  of  Israel  so  often  apostatized,  is,  in  fact, 
no  more  incredible  or  unaccountable,  than  that  men  are 
now  but  seldom  restrained  from  following  their  own 
hearts'  lusts,  though  they  are  not  ignorant  of  the  natural 
consequences  of  vice.  They  may  have  even  seen  its 
effects  on  the  health,  and  character,  and  property,  of 
many  of  its  victims  ;  yet  how  often  do  they  act  as  if  they 

the  restraints  of  an  early  Christian  education,  to  make  an  offering  of  its 
reason  on  the  altars  of  Jupiter  and  Apollo.  Amid  the  magnificence  of 
heathen  temples  —  the  embodied  conceptions  of  poets,  as  displayed  in 
the  chiselled  marble  and  speaking  canvas — the  pomp  of  festivals  and 
sacrifices,  and  the  traditions  of  oracles  and  prodigies,  all  consecrated  in 
the  estimation  of  the  people  by  ancient  practice  —  Christiiinity  had  as 
little  in  its  outward  forms  to  impose  on  the  popular  credulity,  as  in  its 
principles  to  prepossess  the  sensual  judgment.  Compared  with  the  time- 
honored  usages  and  assocititions  of  t'.ie  Grecian  mythology,  it  labored 
under  a  disadvantai^e  not  unlike  that  of  a  protestant  church,  recently 
planted  in  the  midst  of  a  community  which  has  been  long  swayed  by 
the  gorgeous  rites  and  flexible  principles  of  Komani^m,  and  where  in- 
terest lends  its  aid  to  the  seductions  of  enthroned  error.  In  the  days, 
too,  of  Porphyry  and  Julian,  thosj  apostates  from  Christianity,  genius 
and  learning  were  associated  with  the  pagan  religion.  One  could  con- 
form to  the  vulgar  superstitions,  and  be  in  only  the  higher  repute  among 
the  disciples  of  Plato  or  the  lovers  of  Homer.  In  like  manner,  the  kings 
of  Judah  might  have  thought  to  promote  their  personal  respectability, 
and  elevate  themselves  in  the  rank  of  nations,  by  conforming  to  the 
iJuhitrous  rite^  of  kingdoms  greater  than  their  own.  Perhaps  there  was 
much  in  both  the  Assyrian  and  Egyptian  mode  of  worship  to  impress  a 
iiiiml  at  all  addicted  to  superstitious  fears,  and  elicit  at  least  temporary 
asocnt  to  fables,  however  repugnant  they  were  to  reason  and  experience, 
as  well  as  to  the  principles  of  the  Hebrew's  faith.  Certain  it  is,  that 
which  to  our  view  is  but  wood  or  stone,  was  then  the  emblem  of  some 
supernatural  attribute,  as  but  a  lump  of  chy  once  seemed  to  the  senate 
atid  peo()le  of  Rome  endowed  with  life,  and  sentiment,  and  divine  power. 
For  aught  we  can  adduce  to  the  contrary,  the  apostate  kings  of  Judah 
would  have  indignantly  repelled  the  charge  of  idolatry  ;  flattering  them- 
selves, while  countenancing  heathen  rites,  that  they  were  only  exploring 
that  occult  vi'isdom  which  the  prudence  of  antiquity  had  disguised  in 
forms  and  fables,  just  as  Porphyry  did  in  his  day  ;  or,  as  the  proselyte  to 
Romanism,  in  affecting  to  have  discovered  some  profound  ecclesiastical 
sense  in  unscriptural  rites  and  usages,  contrives  at  once  to  retain  his 
self-respect,  and  shield  his  conscience  from  the  charge  of  apostasy  fnim 
the  Christian  faith. 


234  THE    APOSTATE. 

could  violate  the  laws  of  their  moral  and  physical  being 
with  impunity  !  Neither  are  they  blind  to  the  noontide 
evidences  with  which  Christianity  accompanies  its  claim 
on  their  faith  and  obedience  ;  yet  how  often  do  they  per- 
sist in  their  sins  as  securely  as  though  the  wrath  of  God 
had  not  been  revealed  ag-ainst  all  ungodliness  and  un- 
righteousness  among  men  ! 

It  may  be  thought,  however,  that  the  Hebrews,  as  a 
people,  were  without  adequate  religious  instruction,  and 
that  the  prophets  themselves  were  at  fault.  If  there  was 
at  any  period  a  lack  of  knowledge,  the  lips  of  the  priest 
had  been  sealed  by  the  tyranny  of  some  apostate  ruler; 
and  though  there  were  from  time  to  time  false  prophets, 
as  there  are  now  false  teachers,  yet  is  it  evident  that, 
from  the  days  of  Solomon  down  to  the  return  from  the 
Babylonish  captivity,  there  was  a  succession  of  illustri- 
ous men  whose  province  it  was  to  instruct  in  all  matters 
appertaining  to  the  law,  as  well  as  to  receive  and  com- 
municate the  Divine  will :  men  who  engaged  in  no 
business  nor  adopted  any  habits  inconsistent  with  -that 
tranquillity  of  mind  which  their  sacred  calling  required, 
and  whose  simplicity  of  life  accorded  with  the  dignity 
of  their  office  and  the  purport  of  their  teachings  :  men 
whom  selfishness  could  not  bribe,  nor  power  awe  ;  and 
who,  being  free  from  the  allurements  of  avarice,  and 
alike  independent  of  both  king  and  people,  acted  with 
promptitude,  and  spoke  to  the  purpose,  with  a  clearness 
of  utterance  none  could  mistake,  and  a  faithfulness  few 
could  withstand.  Acting  as  messengers  between  Jeho- 
vah and  his  earthly  representatives,  their  influence  was 
without  a  parallel ;  nor  did  it  cease  when  they  in  turn 


THE    APOSTATE.  235 

ceased  to  be  known  among  the  living.  Their  predic- 
tions remained,  to  be  attested  by  the  developments  of 
ages  ;  their  instructions,  to  guide  and  guard  the  mind  of 
each  succeeding  generation  ;  and  their  example,  to  ani- 
mate the  timid,  and  nerve  them  for  a  holy  warfare  with 
spiritual  wickedness  in  high  places.  And  though  the 
enemy  should  now  come  in  like  a  flood,  and  thick  dark- 
ness overspread  the  prospects  of  Zion,  the  names  of  the 
prophets  will  again  be  as  watchwords  in  the  city  of  our 
God  ;  and  like  signal-fires,  blazing  from  afar  and  stream- 
ing through  the  lapse  of  ages,  will  serve  to  reunite  the 
dejected  followers  of  the  Lamb,  and  bid  them  hope ! 

But  if,  notwithstanding  the  instructions  they  enjoyed 
and  the  warnings  they  received,  the  Jewish  people,  with 
their  kings,  so  often  apostatized,  what  had  been  the  reli- 
gious condition  of  Judea  —  wherein  would  she  have 
differed  from  polytheistic  nations  —  if  her  hills  had 
never  echoed  to  the  voice  of  her  heaven-sent  seers,  nor 
her  high  places  so  often  witnessed  the  miraculous  attes- 
tation of  their  word  ? 

Even  now,  some  are  not  backward  to  reflect  on  the 
efficiency  of  the  church,  and  the  faithfulness  of  her  min- 
istry to  the  world  around  ;  but  if,  in  spite  of  the  com- 
bined influences  of  Christian  instructions  and  ordinances, 
there  are  such  repeated  and  deplorable  departures  from 
Christian  faith  and  practice,  what  would  be  the  condi- 
tion of  society,  and  the  prospects  of  the  world,  were  the 
church  disbanded,  and  the  voice  of  her  ministry  silenced ! 

But  the  history  of  Amaziah,  in  its  essential  features, 
may  serve  to  illustrate  the  course  of  not  a  few  at  the 


236  TIIK    AVOS'I'ATK. 

present  day.  At  first  they  show  signs  of  being  influ- 
enced by  a  regard  to  "  the  law  and  the  testimony  :"  in 
many  things  they  cannot  be  distinguished  from  the  truly 
religious;  but  their  heart  is  not  whole  with  God. 
There  is  a  latent  deference  to  the  ways  of  the  world  — 
a  hankering  after  its  riches,  its  honors,  or  its  pleasures  ; 
and  hence,  when  placed  in  circumstances  of  trial,  they 
begin  to  sacrifice  duty  to  interest,  and  conscience  to  in- 
clination—  to  multiply  their  worldly  relations,  and 
strengthen  their  worldly  interests  —  even  as  Amaziah 
sought  the  aid  of  an  idolatrous  people  to  further  his 
ambitious  projects.  Thus  alliances  are  formed  with  un- 
believers for  worldly  ends  !  Thus  means,  in  themselves 
unlawful,  are  sometimes  employed  to  effect  good  ends. 
Thus,  the  capital  invested  in  an  iniquitous  business,  has 
led  many  a  man  to  resist  the  demands  of  justice  and 
humanity  —  and  the  fear  of  pecuniary  loss,  to  withstand 
the  claims  of  Christian  benevolence.  It  is  by  occasion- 
ally yielding  to  the  promptings  of  worldly  interest,  that 
a  neglect  of  all  religious  duties  ultimately  ensues  ;  it  is 
in  consequence  of  having  always  had  some  private  end 
to  answer,  that  the  man  who  might  have  seemed  to 
be  religious,  betrays  at  last  his  real  character.  In  this 
way  we  account  for  the  lamentable  fact,  that  some,  who 
once  made  a  creditable  profession  of  faith,  have,  through 
the  gradual  ascendency  of  worldly  interests  over  their 
hearts,  been  seduced  into  infidelity;  and  that  others  were 
led  on  from  one  little  act  of  overreaching  to  another, 
until  "  the  hundred  talents  of  silver" — some  great 
temptation — overcame  whatever  moral  principle  was 
left,  and  blasted  their  character.     Men  of  this  class  may 


THE    APOSTATE.  237 

not  have  been  hypocrites.  It  is  not  necessary  to  con- 
clude that  such  embraced  religion  to  advance  their  in- 
terests in  life  :  they  deceived  themselves  —  either  mis- 
taking their  intellectual  convictions  for  a  change  in  their 
affections,  or  their  willingness  to  submit  to  the  outward 
requirements  of  religion,  for  a  love  of  truth  and  duty, 
as  they  might  have  prepossessed  others  in  favor  of  their 
piety,  by  their  acts  of  goodness. 

Amaziah  should  have  obeyed  the  command  of  the 
Most  High  instantly  and  cheerfully,  whatever  might 
have  been  the  personal  sacrifice  inseparable  from  obedi- 
ence. But  the  question  which  he  proposed  to  the 
prophet — "What  shall  we  do  for  the  hundred  talents 
which  I  have  given  to  the  army  of  Israel?" — plainly 
showed  that  he  had  no  singleness  of  heart  —  though  at 
first  he  had  done  Avhat  the  law  required.  He  would 
have  obeyed,  if  obedience  had  cost  him  nothing !  but 
so  expensive  a  proof  made  him  hesitate  ;  nor  would  he 
at  last  have  yielded,  had  not  the  strongest  motives  been 
addressed  at  once  to  his  hopes  and  to  his  fears. 

Thus,  too,  may  men  be  found  at  the  present  day, 
who,  in  all  requirements  which  clash  not  with  their  in- 
clinations, seem  to  be  religious  ;  but  make  known  to 
them  some  duty  that  demands  self-denial,  and  it  seems 
to  them  unreasonably  severe,  highly  inexpedient,  if  not 
impracticable.  Had  it  occurred  to  tljem  before,  they 
would  have  done  otherwise,  but  now  it  is  too  late.  If 
it  be  duty,  it  cannot  be  discharged  consistently  with  a  wise 
and  prudent  regard  to  their  worldly  interests  :  the  loss 
will  be  too  great  —  not  to  be  retrieved  by  years  of  toil. 
What  shall  we  do  ?     'I  have  made  my  arrangements  to 


238  THE    APOSTATE. 

go,'  says  one  :  '  I  have  formed  the  alliance,'  says  anoth- 
er :'  I  have  invested  a  hundred  talents  in  the  enter- 
prise,' says  a  third  ;  or,  '  Others  will  have  the  benefits, 
though  I  should  withdraw.'  Such  are  some  of  the  ex- 
pedients of  the  worldly  mind  to  evade  the  requisitions 
of  known  duty  ;  and  whether  the  amount  involved  be 
more  or  less  ;  whether  the  self-denial  required  have  ref- 
erence to  a  secular  engagement  which  is  incompatible 
with  the  enjoyment  of  religious  privileges  and  the  claims 
of  charity  —  to  an  interest  in  some  moneyed  company, 
which  for  gain  desecrates  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord,  or 
repudiates  its  engagements  —  to  the  prosecution  of  a 
business,  in  itself  immoral,  or  which  trenches  on  those 
hours  that  belong  to  God  and  the  soul  —  or  to  those 
places  of  worldly  amusement,  and  parties  of  pleasure, 
and  habits  of  living,  to  forego  which,  is  thought  to  in- 
volve the  loss  oi  standing  in  society;  —  the  principle  of 
disobedience  to  Heaven's  requirements  is  the  same, — 
be  it  detected  in  the  cautious  capitalist,  the  grasping 
speculator,  the  ambitious  demagogue,  or  in  the  frivo- 
lous fashionist.  Nor  is  it  merely  with  reference  to  such 
cases,  or  only  occasionally,  that  we  are  virtually  called 
on  to  decide  whether  we  will  forego  interest  for  duty,  or 
sacrifice  duty  for  selfish  gain  and  pleasure ;  every  day 
brings  with  it  its  trial  of  our  faith  and  principles  ;  and 
according  as  we  decide,  either  for  or  against  dutij,  such 
are  we  —  either  the  servants  of  God  or  the  worshippers 
of  mammon. 

Amaziah  did  at  last  decide  to  dismiss  his  mercenary 
troops,  though  he  knew  that  by  so  doing  he  incurred 
the  loss  of  a  hundred   talents  of  silver ;  but  he  acted 


THE    APOSTATE.  239 

not  from  a  principle  of  cordial  obedience.  Perhaps,  as 
soon  as  the  prophet  left  him,  his  fears  subsided,  and  he 
regretted  the  sacrifice  which  he  had  made  ;  or,  when  re- 
moved from  the  restraining  influence  of  so  holy  a  man, 
he  might  have  felt  himself  at  liberty  to  act  out  the  im- 
pulses of  his  own  heart. 

To  what  fearful  changes  is  our  nature  liable  !  How 
insidious,  yet  how  rapid,  the  process  by  which  a  heart 
of  flesh  becomes  a  heart  of  stone  !  He  who  was  once 
so  gentle  toward  his  subjects,  who  would  on  no  account 
consent  to  the  execution  of  the  murderer's  children  — 
has  just  driven  ten  thousand  captive  Edomites  to  a 
frightful  death  !  He  who  quailed  before  the  prophet, 
and  trembled  in  view  of  the  consequences  of  going 
contrary  to  the  will  of  Heaven,  could  turn  a  deaf  ear  to 
the  frantic  shrieks  of  so  many  helpless  mortals  ;  and  as 
he  stood  on  Sela,*  could  look  down  with  an  eye  of 
vindictive  triumph  on  the  mighty  heaps  of  the  dying 
and  the  dead.  And  now  the  king  who  had  been 
brought  up  in  the  knowledge  and  service  of  the  God  of 
Israel — who  would  allow  none  of  his  subjects,  on  pen- 
alty of  the  law,  to  worship  any  strange  god, —  returns  to 
Jerusalem  with  the  spoils  of  the  slain  ;  and  in  the  pres- 
ence of  his  people — at  the  threshold  of  the  holy  tem- 
ple—  burns  incense  to  the  idol-gods  of  the  Edomites ! 

This  has  been  regarded  as  an  unaccountable  circum- 
stance. But  it  was  in  our  view,  the  natural  conse- 
quence of  a  heart  that,  from  the  first,  had  not  been 
whole  with  God.     He  who  sanctioned  the  practice  of 

•  Sela,  in  the  Hebrew  language,  corresponds  to  Petra  in  the 
Greek — the  Rock.. 


240  THE    APOSTATE. 

offering  sacrifices  in  the  high  places,  could  not  have 
been  very  strict  in  his  principles,  or  decided  in  his  an- 
tipathies to  idol-worship  ;  and  a  change  of  circumstan- 
ces might  readily  induce  a  change  of  life  :  as  he  who, 
notwithstanding  his  acknowledgment  of  the  authority  of 
God's  written  word,  connives  at  popish  rites,  or  sanc- 
tions uncommanded  fasts  and  festivals,  is  prepared,  when 
circumstances  favor,  to  bring  in  the  gods  of  Rome. 

Jei'oboani's  idolatry,  while  it  betrayed  an  inherent 
predilection  for  a  false  religion,  was  an  expedient  to  re- 
tain the  allegiance  of  his  subjects,  already  fascinated  by 
the  idols  of  the  heathen  ;  just  as  false  teachers  gather  fol- 
lowers and  retain  their  influence  by  sanctioning  worldly 
customs,  and  giving  utterance  to  the  prejudices  of  that 
*'  carnal  mind,"  which  "  is  enmity  against  God." 

Solomon,  in  giving  unbridled  license  to  his  desires, 
became  at  last  their  slave,  and  the  tool  of  those  by  whom 
they  were  excited  ;  and  his  apostasy  may  be  explained 
by  the  fact  that  the  passions  and  appetites,  when  in- 
dulged to  excess,  always  gain  the  mastery  over  reason. 
But  the  difficulty  in  assigning  a  satisfactory  reason  for 
Amaziah's  apostasy,  arises  from  his  having  selected  as 
his  idols  the  gods  of  a  people  whom  he  had  just  sub- 
dued. Yet  he  might  have  thought,  in  the  grossness  of 
his  heart,  that  since  the  gods  of  the  Edomites  had  de- 
serted them  for  him,  they  had  some  claims  on  his  grate- 
ful homage  —  as  Ahaz  aimed  to  propitiate  the  idols  of 
Syria,  which  he  imagined  had  been  the  authors  of  his 
calamities. 

Possibly  he  was  haunted  by  the  remembrance  of  his 
cruelty  toward  the  Edomites,  and  therefore  sought  to 


THE    APOSTATE.  241 

allay  the  terrors  of  his  excited  imagination  by  depreca- 
ting the  wrath  of  their  gods ;  for  the  blacker  the  enor- 
mity of  one's  deeds,  the  more  readily  may  the  grossest 
superstition  be  practised,  in  the  hope  of  relief  from  the 
action  of  a  guilty  heart.  Hence  it  has  been  observed, 
that  they  who  undertake  the  most  criminal  and  danger- 
ous enterprises,  are  commonly  the  most  superstitious.* 
Thus  Catiline  was  not  contented  with  the  established 
deities  and  received  rites  of  the  national  faith.  His 
anxious  terrors  made  him  seek  new  inventions  of  the 
kind,  which  had  never  occurred  to  him  had  he  remained 
obedient  to  the  laws  of  his  country.! 

It  is  not  to  be  presumed,  however,  that  Amaziah  from 
the  first  had  deliberately  resolved  to  apostatize  from  the 
God  of  Israel.  Not  improbably  the  gods  of  Edom  were 
of  gold,  and  being  curiously  wrought,  they  gratified  his 
eye  ;  and,  in  carrying  them  off,  his  primary  design  might 
have  been  simply  to  adorn  his  "  high  places"  with  the 
spoils  of  victory.  Thus  the  final  apostasy  of  Ahaz  may 
be  referred  to  his  visit  to  Damascus,  where  he  saw  an 
idolatrous  altar,  with  the  style  of  which  he  was  so  much 
pleased,  that  he  sent  a  plan  of  it  to  Urijah  to  form  one 
similar,  and  to  place  it  in  the  room  of  the  brazen  altar 
which  had  been  erected  by  Solomon.  Wide  departures 
from  the  simplicity  of  primitive  faith  and  worship  often 
have  their  beginning  in  changes  which  are  regarded 
simply  as  improvements,  or  the  evidences  of  a  mind 
enlarged  by  travel  and  refined  by  classic  culture.  No 
people  ever  apostatized  all  at  once  from  the  true  wor- 
ship of  God,  and  but  few,  if  any,  have  at  first  had  the 
•  Diod.  Sic,  lib.  xv.  f  Cic.  Catil.,  i. ;  Sail,  de  Catil.  Conj. 
21 


242  THE    APOSTATE. 

remotest  conception  of  the  lengths  to  which  they  have 
gone. 

Whatever  his  reason,  Amaziah's  idolatry  has  its  spir- 
itual parallel  in  him  who  returns  from  his  foreign  sojourn 
with  sentiments  inconsistent  with  the  teachings  of  God's 
word,  and  with  customs  at  variance  with  the  integrity  of 
Christian  faith  ;  in  him  who,  on  performing  some  great 
work  for  the  church,  yields  to  the  returning  dominion 
of  his  own  heart's  lusts  ;  or  in  the  man  who,  through 
his  anxiety  to  deliver  himself  from  the  evils  of  poverty 
and  obscurity,  becomes  enslaved  to  the  riches  he  has 
acquired,  or  the  honors  he  has  won  —  as  Cadmus,  on 
destroying  the  dragons  which  defended  the  fountain 
sacred  to  Mars,  was  consequently  involved  in  a  servi- 
tude of  years  to  the  god  of  war. 

The  propensity  of  the  human  heart  is  still  to  idol- 
worship  ;  nor  is  the  idolatry  less  criminal  in  the  sight  of 
high  Heaven,  because  its  outward  development  may  be 
mistaken  by  the  world  as  the  indication  of  a  superior 
civilization  and  refined  taste.  Man  is  still  prone  to  de- 
part from  God;  and  in  adopting  notions  and  conform- 
ing to  practices  foreign  from  the  word  of  God,  may  give 
evidence  of  apostasy  as  real,  though  not  as  palpable  to 
vulgar  apprehension,  as  if  he  had  bowed  to  Amaziah's 
idols  —  or,  with  Julian,  substituted  the  avcilia  for  the 
cross,  and  consecrated  his  powers  to  the  honor  of  Cybele. 
Instead  of  driving  the  captives,  had  the  king  only 
cast  their  idols,  down  the  precipice,  it  would  have  been 
an  easy  proof  of  his  deference  to  God,  and  one  that 
might  have  readily  occurred  to  any  mind  not  lost  to  all 
regard  for  the  right.     But  it  is  the  infirmity  of  our  na- 


THE    APOSTATE.  243 

ture  not  always  to  be  aware  of  the  folly  of  an  act  until 
it  is  done  ;  nor  always  to  be  sensible  of  our  guilt,  even 
when  it  is  apparent  to  others.  How  true  is  it  that 
sin  infatuates  to  destroy  !  Had  the  king  not  been  as 
foolhardy  as  he  was  criminal,  he  would  have  repented. 

Though  infidels  have  been  forward  to  asperse  the 
character  of  the  Hebrew's  God  —  to  represent  him  as 
arbitrary,  unjust,  and  implacable,  in  no  respect  harmo- 
nizing with  their  idea  of  the  God  of  the  universe  —  yet 
they  have  only  betrayed  their  ignorance,  both  of  the  na- 
ture of  his  government  and  the  history  of  his  people. 
He  is  indeed  seen  to  be  "  a  holy  and  jealous  God  ;"  but 
it  is  equally  apparent  that  "  he  is  long-suffering  and 
slow  to  anger."  Amaziah  himself  had  still  space  to 
repent.  Notwithstanding  his  heinous  offences,  God,  in 
infinite  mercy,  sent  unto  him  a  prophet,  to  bring  him, 
if  possible,  to  the  penitent  acknowledgment  of  his  sins. 
Had  the  prophet  charged  him  with  his  cruelty  to  the 
Edomites,  he  could  not  have  exculpated  himself  on  the 
ground  of  their  incorrigible  idolatry,  because  he  could 
have  shown  no  such  commission  as  had  authorized 
Joshua  to  exterminate  the  Canaanites  ;  and  though  such 
an  act  —  abhorrent  from  every  sentiment  of  humanity  — 
seems  to  us  more  criminal  than  the  burning  of  incense 
to  idols,  yet  idolatry  was  the  sin  of  sins  under  that  dis- 
pensation, as  unbelief  in  Christ  is  under  the  gospel. 
The  latter  carries  with  it  the  highest  possible  affront  to 
God  ;  for  "  he  that  belie veth  not  the  record  which  God 
hath  given  unto  us  of  his  Son,  hath  made  him  a  liar :" 
and,  in  like  manner,  idolatry  not  merely  impugned  the 
authority  of  God's  law,  it  aspersed  his  perfections,  and 


244  THE    APOSTATE. 

assailed  his  throne.  To  worship  an  idol,  was  virtually 
to  wrest  from  God  the  sceptre  of  the  universe  ;  and 
therefore  the  prophet — true  to  Hini  by  whom  he  liad 
been  sent,  and  more  deeply  affected  by  Amaziah's  idola- 
try than  he  had  been  even  by  his  cruelty  —  forthwith 
said  unto  him,  "  Why  hast  thou  sought  after  the  gods 
of  the  people  of  Edom  ?"  What  unaccountable  ingrati- 
tude to  Him  who  rendered  you  victorious  !  what  a  hei- 
nous affront  to  the  majesty  of  Heaven  ! 

The  king  could  not  answer  the  prophet ;  but,  as  is 
always  the  case  with  men  when  convicted  of  sins  they 
are  unwilling  to  renounce,  he  charged  him  with  insolent 
obtrusiveness  on  his  counsels,  and  even  threatened  to 
smite  him,  if  he  did  not  desist.  The  prophet  might 
have  anticipated  such  treatment,  but  it  had  not  deterred 
him  ;  nor  should  the  apprehension  of  incurring  a  guilty 
man's  displeasure  withhold  one  from  the  duty  of  Chris- 
tian reproof.  Or,  he  might  have  thought  that,  as  the 
king  had  been  prevailed  on  by  a  prophet  to  dismiss  his 
idolatrous  mercenaries,  so  he  might  be  induced  to  throw 
away  his  idols.  But,  whatever  the  probable  result  of 
his  interview  with  the  guilty  king,  the  prophet's  duty 
was  clear.  To  have  refrained  from  expostulating  with 
him  from  motives  of  self-interest,  or  any  reference  to 
the  probable  uselessness  of  an  attempt  to  reclaim  him, 
would  have  been  to  connive  at  his  idolatry  ;  but  having 
now  discharged  his  duty,  he  can  do  no  more  :  the  king 
must  be  left  to  his  own  course  ;  and  so  deep  was  the 
prophet's  conviction  of  his  obstinate  persistence  in  apos- 
tasy, that,  as  he  turned  away,  he  pronounced  his  doom  : 
"  I  know  that  God  hath  determined  to  destroy  thee,  be- 


THE    APOSTATE.  245 

cause  thou  bast  done  this,  and  hast  not  hearkened  unto 
my  counsel." 

Amazing  infatuation  —  to  give  up  God  for  an  idol! 
that  God  who  made  th.e  heavens!  Words  are  inade- 
quate to  express  the  irrationality,  the  debasement,  im- 
plied in  such  an  exchange.  The  record  of  such  an  act 
almost  staggers  credulity.  Yet  such  is  the  infatuation 
of  human  nature  even  now  ;  such  the  perversity  of  every 
man  who  gives  up  God  for  the  world  —  a  world  which, 
with  all  its  riches  and  honors,  all  the  wisdom  of  its  phi- 
losophy, all  the  resources  of  its  arts  and  sciences  —  is 
just  as  impotent  to  save  the  soul  as  the  idols  of  Edom 
were  to  rescue  Amaziab  from  destruction  !  "  How 
much  for  how  litde  !"  exclaimed  an  ancient  prince  who, 
in  his  extremity,  had  exchanged  his  kingdom  for  a 
draught  of  dirty  water.  But  taking  into  view  all  that  is 
implied  in  the  loss  of  the  soul,  the  worldling,  in  giving 
up  God,  gives  up  heaven  for  less  than  nothing  and  van- 
ity. "  This  is  all  that  remains  to  Saladin,  the  conqueror 
of  the  world,"  said  the  criers  as  they  carried  his  winding- 
sheet  around  the  city  :  such  is  all  that  will  remain  to  any 
one  who  foregoes  the  favor  of  God  for  the  things  of  the 
vi^orld.  Yet,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  more  glaring 
man's  folly,  the  greater  his  reluctance  to  be  reminded 
of  it ;  in  proportion  as  he  hankers  after  some  worldly 
interest,  is  his  aversion  from  all  religious  restraints,  and 
his  displeasure  at  reproof. 

No  matter  what  may  be  his  sin,  if  a  man  can  listen  to 
the  voice  of  kind  and  faithful  expostulation,  there  is 
ground  for  hope  that  he  will  yet  repent ;  but  to  repel 
tlie  admonition  of  Heaven,  is  an  ominous  sign  !      All  is 

21* 


246  THE    APOSTATE. 

wrong  with  that  man,  and  will  be  worse !  In  hating 
reproof,  he  proves  his  love  for  his  sins.  In  rejecting 
the  counsel  of  God,  he  grieves  the  Spirit  of  God.  He 
must  persist  in  his  sins,  despite  of  all  warnings,  for  he  is 
joined  to  his  idols. 

God  may  have  said  :  '  Let  him  live,  but  let  him  alone  ; 
let  him  go  on  to  gather  up  riches,  to  win  honors,  or  to 
revel  in  sensual  gratifications.'  Others,  as  far  from  God 
as  he  is,  may  deem  him  a  prosperous  man,  or  envy  him 
his  abundance  ;  but  "  I  know  that  God  hath  determined 
to  destroy  him,"  because  he  has  given  himself  to  the 
world,  and  has  not  hearkened  to  the  warning  voice  of 
Heaven's  mercy  ! 

Had  the  king's  heart,  then,  only  been  at  first  whole 
with  God,  how  different  would  have  been  his  course ! 
To  this  radical  defect  in  his  character  may  be  traced 
that  worldly  policy  which  caused  him  to  deviate  from 
the  right,  and  which  eventuated  in  his  apostasy.  Hence 
the  importance  of  a  right  heart  at  the  beginning  of  a  reli- 
gious life.  Without  this,  there  will  be  irresolution,  wa- 
vering, and  inconsistency  —  alternate  observances  and 
neglects,  remissness  and  worldliness  —  an  ague-fit,  from 
hot  to  cold,  from  one  passion  to  another,  quite  contrary 
—  until  God's  service  ceases  to  interest,  and  the  world 
clinches  its  hold  on  our  affections. 

What  a  contrast  between  the  king  and  the  prophet,  in 
their  respective  views  of  duty,  and  sentiments  toward 
God  ! — the  former,  swayed  by  motives  of  worldly  inter- 
est ;  the  latter,  recognising  no  interest  separate  from  obe- 
dience ;  the  one  contending,  as  it  were,  for  self  and  sin, 
the  other  true  to  God  and  the  soul. 


THE    APOSTATE.  247 

To  the  eye  of  the  prophet,  how  great  and  glorious 
must  God  have  seemed !  Dwelhng  in  the  Hght  of  his 
uncreated  purity,  he  cannot  look  on  sin  but  with  abhor- 
rence. The  giver  of  life,  and  breath,  and  all  things,  he 
has  a  right  to  require  any  sacrifice  at  the  hands  of  his 
dependent  creatures.  Sovereign  in  his  authority,  infi- 
nite in  wisdom,  and  resistless  in  power,  he  can  abun- 
dandy  recompense  any  sacrifice  for  his  sake.  There  is 
sublimity  in  the  prophet's  simple  and  concise  enuncia- 
tions to  the  king  :  "  God  hath  power  to  help  and  to  cast 
down.  The  Lord  is  able  to  give  thee  much  more  than 
this."  To  take  in  their  full  meaning  and  force,  is  to 
rise  to  the  conception  of  God's  universal  and  all-con- 
trolling agency,  as  the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth,  and 
the  Sovereign  Disposer  of  the  lots  of  all  beings  for  time 
and  eternity  !  To  admit  their  truth,  may  be  simply  an 
act  of  the  reason  ;  but  to  rest  the  soul  on  them,  and  go 
forth  to  battle  with  life's  temptations,  with  the  assurance 
that  God  will  be  "  our  exceeding  great  reward,"  requires 
a  faith  in  God  which  Amaziah  did  not  possess. 

God  could  have  more  than  made  amends  to  him  for 
the  loss  of  his  hundred  talents ;  he  could  have  rendered 
all  surrounding  nations  tributary  to  his  resources,  and 
secured  to  him  a  long  and  prosperous  reign.  So  has 
he  now  all  the  treasures  of  earth  and  the  kingdoms  of 
the  world  at  his  disposal.  He  can  prosper  us  in  our 
business  beyond  our  most  sanguine  expectations  —  exalt 
us  to  honor,  or  invest  us  with  affluence  —  and  that  in  a 
way  we  could  not  have  foreseen,  and  at  a  time  we  could 
not  have  anticipated. 

This  will  be  admitted  by  all  who  do  not  deny  his 


248  THE    APOSTATE. 

providence  ;  yet  it  is  equally  clear  from  his  word  that  he 
requires  of  us  no  sacrifice  which  he  will  not  overrule 
for  good.  Comprehending  at  one  view  all  times  and 
relations,  all  beings  and  interests,  he  knows  what  is  best 
for  each  of  his  servants  —  in  what  station,  and  under 
what  circumstances,  each  in  his  sphere  in  life  will  most 
effectually  answer  the  great  end  of  his  providence. 
Hence  the  difference  in  his  providential  arrangements: 
yet,  in  giving  to  one,  and  withholding  from  another,  he 
is  influenced  by  the  same  beneficent  purpose  ;  and  never 
exacts  any  sacrifice  of  worldly  gain  that  is  not  for  their 
good,  and  which  he  will  not  abundantly  repay.  Not 
that  he  will  always  repay  the  loss  of  present  interest  by 
greater  riches,  but  he  will  by  greater  comfort  in  what 
remains.  Not  that  he  may  not  see  fit  to  impose  heavy 
afflictions  on  them,  notwithstanding  their  sacrifices  to 
duty  —  as  he  permitted  the  Israelites  to  harass  the  cities 
of  Judah,  though  Amaziah  had  submitted  to  the  loss  of 
his  talents  —  but  their  afflictions  shall  serve  to  "work 
out  for  them  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight 
of  glory." 

Sacrifices  to  duty  are  inseparable  from  a  state  of 
moral  trial  and  discipline.  Certain  things  are  wrong  — 
not  to  be  for  a  moment  done  or  countenanced  by  one 
who  regards  the  honor  of  God  and  his  soul's  good  ; 
certain  things  must  be  foregone,  however  contrary  the 
duty  may  be  to  the  will  of  the  flesh,  or  to  the  dictates  of 
worldly  policy.  There  is  no  third  choice  ;  the  sacrifice 
must  be  made,  or  we  cannot  be  Christ's  disciples. 

Yet  such  is  the  perversity  of  our  nature,  that  we  are 
not  more  reluctant  to  part  with  some  forbidden  interest. 


THE    APOSTATE.  249 

for  the  sake  of  Christ,  than  prone  to  rely  for  acceptance 
in  the  sight  of  God  on  some  sacrifice  already  made. 
This,  in  all  probability,  was  the  cause  of  Amaziah's 
subsequent  acts  of  disobedience  and  folly.  He  had 
given  up  the  hundred  talents ;  it  was  a  meritorious  act 
in  his  estimation  :  God  nmst  repay  him  for  so  great  a 
loss.  Is  it  an  unreasonable  supposition  ?  Why  is  it, 
then,  that  so  many  who  have  made  sacrifices,  now  make 
them  no  more ;  that  the  complacent  remembrance  of 
some  one  duty  discharged  at  the  cost  of  certain  worldly 
interests,  makes  amends  for  all  subsequent  neglects  and 
habitual  self-indulgence  ?  The  history  of  Amaziah 
teaches  this,  if  nothing  else  —  that  no  former  sacrifice 
of  interest  to  duty  will  be  accepted  as  an  excuse  for 
going  on  in  sin. 

But  his  first  mistake  was  in  hiring  the  Israelites  and 
preparing  for  his  military  expedition  without  having  in- 
quired of  the  Lord.  This  was  his  imperative  duty  —  a 
duty  which  all  the  religious  kings  of  Judah  had  not 
failed  to  observe,  and  for  the  neglect  of  which  there  was 
the  less  excuse  under  a  dispensation  that  secured  spe- 
cial direction  to  every  sincere  inquirer  of  God's  will 
before  his  holy  altar. 

But  they  who  are  bent  on  following  their  own  wills, 
seldom  take  the  pains  to  ascertain  the  will  of  Heaven. 
The  more  intent  they  may  be  on  worldly  ends,  the 
more  desirous  are  they  of  avoiding,  rather  than  of  seek- 
ing, the  requirements  of  duty.  For  this  reason,  Amaziah 
did  not  care  to  seek  the  Divine  blessing :  it  would  have 
been  to  abandon  a  project  which,  though  not  sanctioned 
by  the  law,  was  perhaps  the  less  criminal,  in  his  view, 


250  THE    APOSTATE. 

if  undertaken  without  any  direct  reference  to  the  will 
of  the  Most  High. 

Ominous  omission  !  revealing  to  us  the  state  of  the 
heart  not  less  distinctly  than  the  confession  of  the  lips  ; 
proclaiming  what,  if  honest,  the  worldling  will  not  deny 
— that  he  wishes  not  to  he  thwarted  in  his  sinful  pur- 
pose, nor  troubled  with  "  compunctious  visitings."  Ex- 
cuseless  omission  !  nor  the  less  so,  because  some  may 
think  it  difficult  now  to  ascertain  the  will  of  God,  or 
that  others,  through  the  delusions  of  enthusiasm,  have 
mistaken  the  path  of  duty.  We  have  no  such  appointed 
method  for  seeking  counsel  from  God,  as  his  ancient 
people  enjoyed  ;  but  we  have  that  word  which  he  has 
given  unto  us,  as  the  only  rule  of  faith  and  practice  : 
and  whatever  the  duty  we  may  wish  to  ascertain,  we  can 
ask  God  himself,  in  the  way  of  his  own  express  appoint- 
ment, to  aid  us  in  the  inquiry  ;  to  disabuse  our  minds 
of  false  impressions  ;  to  clear  our  vision  from  the  mists 
of  ignorance,  prejudice,  and  passion  ;  to  purify  our  hearts, 
and  make  us  willing  to  receive  the  truth  in  the  love  of 
it ;  to  examine  ourselves  in  the  light  of  his  word,  and 
to  dispose  us  to  defer  to  the  result  of  our  scriptural 
inquiry,  whether  that  be  for  or  against  our  proposed 
undertaking. 

To  go  to  the  Scriptures  without  prayer,  is  to  "  lean  to 
our  own  understandings"  and  "  trust  in  our  own  hearts." 
To  bring  to  the  inquiry  either  the  prejudices  or  the  pre- 
possessions of  the  carnal  mind,  is  to  wrest  the  import 
of  scriptural  passages  to  suit  our  purpose.  But  to  go 
to  the  word  of  God  with  a  sincere,  and  humble,  and 
prayerful  desire  to  ascertain  the  nature  of  any  particular 


THE    APOSTATK.  251 

Step — whether  it  is  approved  or  condemned  either  by 
the  letter  or  the  spirit  of  the  gospel — whether  it  will, 
on  the  whole,  tend  to  promote  the  glory  of  God  and  the 
good  of  man  —  is  to  ascertain  clearly  and  certainly  the 
will  of  God.  If  we  cannot  satisfy  ourselves  that  the 
step  is  accordant  with  the  mind  of  the  Spirit,  and  that 
it  will  conduce  to  our  own  and  the  best  interests  of  those 
with  whom  we  are  connected,  then,  no  matter  what 
worldly  advantages  it  may  promise,  it  is  contrary  to  the 
will  of  God  for  us  to  take  that  step  —  for  us  it  is  sin. 

There  is,  therefore,  no  security  for  one,  no  matter 
what  his  religious  advantages,  the  moment  he  begins  to 
yield  to  the  suggestions  of  worldly  interest,  and  either 
violates  or  neglects  known  duty.  He  may  become  an 
apostate  ;  he  will  backslide.  He  may  be  drawn  into  the 
commission  of  flagrant  acts  of  selfishness ;  he  will  lose 
his  religious  impressions  and  blunt  his  moral  sensibili- 
ties. Whatever  his  besetting  sin,  it  will  become  the  more 
operative  from  being  indulged,  until  our  neighbor's  rights 
and  the  honor  of  religion  are  of  no  account  compared 
with  the  gratification  of  self.  Thus  the  love  of  pleasure 
tends  to  harden  the  heart;  of  power,  tempts  to  intrigue, 
defamation,  and  wrong  ;  of  gain,  to  deception,  overreach- 
ing, and  extortion.  Thus,  too,  do  unlawful  alliances 
necessarily  impair  the  sentiment  of  fealty  to  God  ;  while 
sinful  pursuits  lead  on  from  the  neglect  of  one  duty  to 
the  violation  of  another,  and,  from  growing  indifference 
to  religion,  to  final  apostasy  from  the  faith.  In  like 
manner,  that  money  which  is  retained  or  got  at  the  ex- 
pense of  truth  and  justice,  will  pierce  the  soul  with 
many  sorrows  ;  and  those  honors  won  at  the  cost  of  a 


252  THE    APOSTATE. 

neighbor's  rights,  will  rivet  the  chains  which  bind  the 
soul  to  earth.  Yes  ;  and  those  ordinances  neglected  for 
the  sake  of  worldly  recreation,  those  Sabbaths  violated 
for  the  sake  of  gain,  all  will  rise  up  in  judgment  to  con- 
demn the  worldling. 

Be  nothing,  then,  in  the  world's  estimation,  rather 
than  conspicuous  and  renowned,  to  the  sacrifice  of 
Heaven's  approving  smile.  Have  nothing  —  starve,  ra- 
ther than  grow  rich  in  a  way  God  has  forbidden.  Such 
is  the  answer  which  an  inquirer  after  duty  would  receive, 
were  he  to  consult  the  sacred  oracles. 

If,  however,  duty  is  naught  to  him,  and  the  world 
all  —  then  let  him  go  on,  and  get  gain,  and  power,  and 
pleasure,  in  any  way  he  can,  no  matter  what  law  of 
Heaven  is  trampled  under  foot;  let  him  make  every 
"  provision  for  the  flesh  to  fulfil  the  lusts  thereof."  But 
ha  should  be  strong  for  the  battle;  for  the  day  of  retri- 
bution is  at  hand,  when  God  shall  deal  with  him  !  God 
is  able  to  make  him  fall.  "  He  has  power  to  cast  into 
hell."  —  "  The  wicked  shall  not  stand  in  the  judgment." 


THE    WISE    man's    CONTRASTS.  253 


THE  WISE  MAN'S  CONTRASTS. 

The  human  mind  is  prone  to  extremes.  No  matter 
what  the  object  of  its  thoughts,  it  seldom  preserves  a 
just  medium  either  in  its  pursuits,  its  sentiments,  or  its 
emotions.  It  is  either  immoderate  or  remiss ;  bigoted 
or  latitudinarian  ;  fanatical  or  formal ;  volatile  and  frivo- 
lous, or  gloomy  and  despondent.  Now  visions  of  bliss 
float  before  its  eye,  and  anon  forms  of  terror  haunt  its 
fancy.  Now  it  surrenders  itself  to  the  gratifications  of 
sense,  as  though  there  were  no  happiness  apart  from 
sensual  indulgences  ;  and  again  it  shrinks  even  from  in- 
nocent pleasures  as  from  images  of  death.  Hence,  we 
find  among  the  ancients,  the  Epicureans  and  the  Stoics  : 
Alcibiades,  on  the  one  hand,  as  the  personification  of 
sensualism,  and  Diogenes,  on  the  other,  as  the  personi- 
fication of  asceticism.  Thence  follows  the  monk  with 
his  crucifix,  his  cowl,  and  his  dreary  cave,  as  opposed 
to  the  bearing  and  habits  of  the  gay  cavalier;  and  these 
have  given  place  in  turn  to  the  radical  religionist,  as 
opposed  to  the  baptized  fashionist.  Even  our  modern 
schools  of  philosophy  are  arrayed  against  each  other  by 
the  antagonist  systems  of  sensualism  and  idealism. 

But  herein  is  the  beneficent  distinction  of  Christianity 
as  a  moral  code.  It  avoids  all  extremes,  and  sanctions 
no  extravagance.     So  far  from  recognising  the  cloistered 

22 


THE    WISE    MAN  S    CONTRASTS. 

cell,  it  sends  us  to  the  busy  haunts  of  men  —  teaching 
us  that  "  no  man  liveth  unto  himself,"  and  that  he  who 
provideth  not  "  for  those  of  his  own  house,  hath  denied 
the  faith,  and  is  worse  than  an  infidel."  So  far  from 
exacting  in  tribute  the  "  lees  and  settlings  of  a  melan- 
choly blood,"  it  teaches  us  "  to  rejoice  with  those  who 
do  rejoice,"  and  "  to  use  the  world  as  not  abusing  it." 
—  "Eat  thy  bread  with  joy,  and  drink  thy  wine  with  a 
merry  heart.  Let  thy  garments  be  always  white ;  and 
let  thy  head  lack  no  ointment.  Live  joyfully  with  the 
wife  whom  thou  lovest  all  the  days  of  thy  life." 

"  How  charming  is  divine  philosophy  !  — 
Not  harsh  and  crabbed,  as  dull  fools  suppose, 
But  musical  as  is  Apollo's  lute, 
And  a  perpetual  feast  of  nectared  sweets, 
Where  no  crude  surfeit  reigns." 

No  feature  of  our  holy  religion  is  more  to  be  admired 
than  this  —  that  while  it  enjoins  what  is  right,  it  forbids 
nothing  that  is  innocent ;  while  it  cautions  us  against 
forgetting  ourselves,  it  would  not  prevent  us  from  en- 
joying ourselves  —  aiming,  as  it  does,  to  make  us  spir- 
itual, but  not  at  the  expense  of  the  conditions  of  animal 
life ;  pure,  but  not  to  the  impeachment  of  Divine  wis- 
dom, "for  every  creature  of  God  is  good;"  happy,  not 
in  forgetfulness  of  the  end  of  our  being,  but  by  means 
of  our  moral  discipline,  and  preparation  for  another  and 
better  world. 

In  accordance  with  these  views  is  the  observation  of 
Solomon,  that  "  it  is  better  to  go  to  the  house  of  mourn- 
ing than  to  go  to  the  house  of  feasting."*  Not  that  it  is 
ivrong  to  go  to  the  house  of  feasting :  there  are  times 
•  Eccles.  vii.  2,  4. 


THE    WISE    man's    CONTRASTS.  255 

when  we  may,  without  impropriety,  and  for  wise  ends, 
meet  around  the  festive  board,  or  join  the  social  circle; 
but  it  is  hetter  to  go  to  the  house  of  mourning.  This 
may  appear  to  be  a  strange  estimation  of  life  :  better  to 
see  tears  than  smiles,  to  hear  groans  than  laughter,  to 
be  environed  by  gloom  and  sadness  than  to  bathe  in 
sunlight !  Such  a  sentiment  must  needs  awaken  a  host 
of  repellant  associations,  and  not  a  few  will  be  forward 
to  dissent  from  Solomon's  judgment,  notwithstanding 
his  world-wide  reputation  for  wisdom. 

But  it  will  not  be  questioned,  by  any  reflecting  mind, 
that  the  house  of  feasting  tends  to  excite  and  foster  emo- 
tions unfavorable  to  religion.  Where  is  it  that  pride 
and  vanity  so  often  enter,  or  that  sinful  passions  are  so 
often  enkindled,  as  in  the  house  of  feasting?  When 
fashion  attires  herself  in  costliest  style,  and  beauty 
wreathes  her  brow,  and  grace  lends  enchantment  to  the 
dance,  and  music's  sweetest  strains  fall  upon  the  rav- 
ished ear,  how  readily  may  the  heart  be  betrayed  ;  and 
how  much  greater  tiie  danger  when  the  richest  viands 
and  the  choicest  wines  conspire  to  stimulate  the  palate 
and  exhilarate  the  spirits  !  Hence  the  insincere  com- 
pliment, the  sinful  compliance,  the  profane  witticism,  the 
immoderate  indulgence,  the  adulterous  eye  and  sinister 
purpose  —  pride,  too,  either  gratified  or  offended,  giving 
rise  in  turn  to  haughtiness  and  to  hate,  to  undue  elation 
and  gloomy  jealousy.  Whoever  has  entered  the  house 
of  feasting,  can  bear  witness  to  its  numberless  appeals 
to  all  that  is  opposed  to  either  lowliness  or  purity  of 
heart ;  and,  among  those  who  mingle  in  the  favorite 
scenes  of  worldly  pleasure,  not  one  perhaps  ever  retires 


256  THE  WISE  man's  contrasts. 

to  his  pillow  with  the  conviction   that  his  heart  is  the 
better  in  the  sight  of  God. 

Indeed,  if  any  scenes  be  peculiarly  suited  to  avert 
reflection,  and  shut  out  of  view  all  that  concerns  man's 
well-being,  it  is  such  as  are  implied  in  the  house  of 
feasting.  Not  unfrequently,  the  express  object  is  to 
enchant  the  eye,  enchain  the  ear,  tempt  the  appetite,  and 
enamor  the  heart,  and,  by  consequence,  to  exclude  what- 
ever tends  to  moderate  indulgence,  or  serves  to  restrain 
worldly  pleasure  : — 

"  Let  joy  be  unconfined  : 
No  sleep  till  morn,  when  youth  and  pleasure  meet 
To  chase  the  glowing  hours  with  flying  feet!" 

And  when  this  is  the  case  —  and  it  is  always  so  when 
religion  is  intentionally  excluded  —  then  the  house  of 
feasting  is  replete  with  the  most  insidious  temptations; 
and  he  who  enters  it  must  leave  behind  him  all  circum- 
spection and  seriousness,  and  surrender  his  soul  to  its 
intoxicating  scenes.  Hence,  the  house  of  feasting  tends 
to  rivet  around  the  heart  the  chains  of  worldliness,  to 
deaden  the  sensibilities  to  all  that  is  kind  in  sj'mpathy, 
virtuous  in  happiness,  ennobling  in  action,  or  important 
in  life.  In  this  house,  how  often  has  the  heart  been 
lifted  up  to  forget  God  !  has  an  unconquerable  preju- 
dice been  imbibed  against  religion  !  has  it  become  the 
aim  of  one's  life  to  give  and  receive  entertainments,  to 
win  admiration  for  self  by  ministering  to  the  pleasures 
of  others! — thus  steeling  the  heart  in  many  instances 
against  both  the  woes  and  the  rights  of  others,  that  there 
may  be  no  deficiency  in  the  means  of  worldly  display. 
It  was  in  the  house  of  feasting  that  Belshazzar  praised 


THE    WISE    man's    CONTRASTS.  257 

the  gods  of  gold  and  of  silver,  and  read  bis  doom;  that 
Sardanapalus  was  surprised  and  ruined  ;  that  Ahasuerus 
insulted  and  dethroned  his  queen  ;  that  Jehoshaphat  was 
seduced  by  Abab  ;  that  Alexander  killed  Clitus ;  that 
Baasha  was  murdered  by  Zimri ;  and  that  Herod  gave 
the  order  for  the  execution  of  a  man  of  God.  iVnd  still 
it  is  true  that  in  this  house  of  feasting  are  many  foes  to 
man's  best  interests  —  not  the  less  dangerous  because 
seldom  seen  and  never  heeded  —  deadly  foes  to  his  sin- 
cerity, his  virtue,  his  sobriety,  bis  charity,  his  religion. 
Amid  the  excitements  of  company,  he  is  apt  to  forget 
his  responsibility,  and,  amid  the  seductions  of  sense,  to 
lose  sight  of  the  interests  of  his  soul  —  intent  as  be  there 
is  on  pleasures  which  respect  no  natural  sentiment,  and 
preclude  all  real  satisfaction  —  pleasures  which  allure 
to  deceive,  and  infatuate  to  destroy  their  votaries  for 
time  and  eternity. 

At  the  present  day,  there  is  an  intimate  connection 
established  by  the  customs  of  society  between  this 
house  of  feasting,  and  certain  houses  of  worldly  amuse- 
ment, and  dishonest  games,  and  degrading  sensuality  ; 
houses  where  life  is  so  represented  in  scenic  acts  as  to 
unhinge  the  mind  for  real  life ;  where  the  gambler  lies 
in  wait  to  allure  the  idle,  and  entrap  the  unwary  ;  where 
the  strange  woman  displays  her  fatal  charms  ;  or  where 
the  demon  of  intemperance  arrays  his  damning  goblets  ; 
houses  which  bear  over  their  respective  gateways  the 
same  inscription  :  "  This  is  the  way  to  hell,  leading 
down  to  the  chambers  of  death." 

Hence  the  greater  danger  of  going  once  too  often  to 
this  house  of  feasting,  or  of  ever  forgetting  while  there 


258  THE  WISE  man's  contrasts. 

that  life  has  its  duties  as  well  as  its  pastimes ;  that 
though  well-timed  recreation  recruits  exhausted  strength, 
dissipation  destroys  it;  that  while  all  the  senses  may  in 
turn  be  not  unlawfully  gratified,  "  the  heart  should  be 
kept  with  all  diligence." 

Solomon's  judgment  was  the  result  of  his  own  obser- 
vation and  experience  ;  and  though  the  house  of  feasting 
to  which  he  referred  may  have  changed  its  form  and 
style  since  his  day,  it  is  still  the  same  in  its  character 
and  tendency.  Here  it  is  that  the  love  of  dress  and 
company,  of  ease  and  pleasure,  of  balls  and  routs,  of 
shows  and  games,  has  been  indulged  —  unfitting  one  for 
either  studious  thought  or  rational  enjoyment ;  pervert- 
ing natural  sensibility  and  moral  principle  ;  hopelessly 
enervating  mind  and  body ;  and  thus  developing  the 
character  of  either  the  pitiable  fashionist  or  the  despica- 
ble lounger.  Here  it  is,  too,  that  many  a  young  man 
began  his  downward  career — disregarding  instruction, 
despising  warnings,  abusing  his  time  and  talents;  drink- 
ing deeper  of  the  cup  of  madness,  until  they  who  looked 
forward  to  him  as  the  prop  of  their  declining  years, 
bowed  their  heads  in  shame  and  anguish  over  his  un- 
timely grave.  Here,  too,  those  tastes  and  appethes  were 
formed  which  are  estranging  that  man  from  the  duties 
and  endearments  of  home.  The  evening  seldom  finds 
him  in  the  midst  of  his  once-loved  family.  And  now  the 
night  is  far  spent.  —  Those  little  ones  have  ceased  to 
weep  in  sympathy  with  a  mother's  tears  —  overcome  at 
last  by  the  deep  slumbers  of  childhood  ;  but  still  she 
weeps,  and  waits,  and  watches,  and  yet  he  comes  not ! 
—  thus  wasting  his  substance  and   imbruting  his  facul- 


THE    WISE    man's    CONTRASTS.  259 

ties,  until  they  who  called  him  father,  shrink  from  his 
presence ;  and  she  who  gave  her  heart  to  his  keeping, 
mourns  in  silence  over  a  husband  worse  than  dead  —  a 
husband  buried  in  his  pollutions  ! 

On  the  other  hand,  the  house  of  mourning  tends  to 
check  and  subdue  those  very  emotions  to  which  the 
house  of  feasting  so  insidiously  contributes.  How  can 
one  plume  himself  on  the  insignia  of  greatness,  or  on  the 
means  of  luxurious  living,  when  to  enter  the  house  of 
mourning  is  sometimes  to  behold  the  evidence  that  nei- 
ther the  honors  nor  the  riches  of  the  world  can  rescue 
their  possessor  from  the  cold  grasp  of  death?  How 
can  he  be  incited  "  to  make  provision  for  the  flesh  to 
fulfil  the  lusts  thereof,"  when  that  body  which  lust  pam- 
pered and  vanity  adorned,  and  which  now  lies  before 
him  cold  and  stiff,  is  about  to  be  consigned  to  the  worms 
of  the  dust?  How  can  his  heart  be  lifted  up  to  say, 
"  My  might  and  my  power  hath  gotten  me  these,"  when, 
in  another  house  of  mourning,  he  beholds  a  fellow-being 
once  standing  higher  and  more  favored  than  himself, 
now  pining  in  obscurity  and  pinched  with  want ;  the 
former  owner  of  a  splendid  mansion  now  tenanting  the 
poor  man's  hut?  But  there,  in  still  another  house  of 
mourning,  is  one  who  has  Iain  for  years  on  a  bed  of 
pain  and  langulshment.  For  him  day  brings  no  sun- 
shine, and  night  no  quiet  rest ;  while  each  revolving 
moon  serves  only  to  deepen  the  gloom  that  settles  around 
his  pillow — still  mocking  the  wretched  sufferer's  hope 
of  coming  death.  In  another  apartment  we  see  the 
once-admired  of  all  beholders  wasting  away ;  no  whis- 


260  THE    WISE    man's    CONTRASTS. 

per  of  praise  is  heard  ;  no  knee  bends  in  vows  of  idola- 
trous love  ;  that  eye  no  longer  sparkles ;  the  ro?e  has 
left  the  cheek  ;  the  hue  of  death  begins  to  settle  over  the 
once-lovely  face.  Enter  another  house,  and  we  niay 
see  the  once  so  happy  wife  and  mother  kneeling  down 
with  her  little  ones  around  the  death-bed  of  their  father  ; 
or,  again,  the  husband  hanging  in  anguish  over  his  loved 
one's  corpse.  But  hark!  what  sound  is  that?  'Tis 
the  wail  of  the  widowed  mother,  for  they  have  come  to 
bury  her  only  son  !  But  other  sounds  pierce  the  ear 
as  we  open  the  door  of  another  house  —  sounds  like  the 
voices  of  young  hearts  just  tasting  their  first  cup  of  woe  ! 
The  mother  has  followed  the  father  to  his  last  home,  and 
the  orphans  shriek  disconsolate. 

What  an  appalling  contrast  does  this  house  of  mourn- 
ing present  to  all  that  ministers  to  the  pride  and  lusts  of 
the  natural  heart !  Here  is  squalid  poverty,  instead  of 
the  luxuries  of  wealth  ;  unhonored  obscurity,  instead  of 
the  applauses  of  the  world  ;  the  voice  of  lamentation  and 
woe,  instead  of  the  sound  of  the  viol  and  the  harp  ;  the 
sighs  of  weakness  and  the  groans  of  pain,  instead  of  feats 
of  strength  and  peals  of  merriment ;  the  piteous  tones  of 
early  orphanage,  instead  of  the  gladsome  voices  and 
innocent  sports  of  childliood's  home.  Alas  !  the  pale 
shroud  covers  the  form  which  fashion  had  bedecked; 
consumption  feeds  on  the  face  which  beauty  had  graced 
and  pride  displayed  ;  and  the  spacious  hall  of  pleasure 
is  exchanged  for  the  dark,  and  narrow,  and  silent  house 
of  death  !  Whether  it  be  viewed  as  the  scene  of  adver- 
sity, the  chamber  of  sickness,  the  place  of  bereavement, 
or  the   couch  of  death  —  what  a  school  for   humility, 


THK     WISE    ]MAN's    CONTRASTS.  261 

and  moderation,  and  self-denial,  this  house  of  mourn- 


ing : 

It  is  these  passions  —  "  the  lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust 
of  the  eyes,  and  the  pride  of  life"  — that  deaden  our 
virtuous  sensihilities,  and  encase  the  heart  in  the  ada- 
mant of  selfishness.  How  seldom  do  we  find  among 
the  votaries  of  sense  any  feeling  regard  for  the  sons  and 
daughters  of  affliction  i  how  seldom  have  they  even  a 
tear  to  give  to  misery  !  how  soon  do  they  abandon  any 
one  of  their  number  —  though  they  may  have  often  par- 
taken of  his  festive  cheer,  and  availed  themselves  of  the 
facilities  which  his  house  had  afforded  for  their  gratifi- 
cation—  the  moment  he  is  overtaken  by  calamity!  and 
how  do  they  shrink  from  re-entering  the  house  which 
yesterday  was  the  house  of  feasting,  if  to-day  it  has  be- 
come the  house  of  death  ! 

But  while  repressing  those  feelings  to  which  the  house 
of  feasting  gives  rise,-  the  house  of  mourning  tends  to 
soften  the  heart,  and  call  forth  the  sensibilities  of  our 
moral  nature  into  lively  and  effective  exercise.  Here  it 
is  the  heart  is  formed  that  knows  how  to  feel  for  others' 
woes,  and  even  longs  to  minister  relief  and  comfort ;  and 
in  a  world  like  this,  where  there  is  so  much  sickness,  and 
sorrow,  and  death,  what  a  blessing  is  such  a  heart — 
what  a  welcome  visitant  within  the  house  of  mourning 
is  a  kind  and  sympathizing  friend  —  like  an  angel  of 
mercy,  shedding  light  and  whispering  peace !  Here 
the  tear  of  pity  must  fall,  and  the  heart  be  opened  to 
every  generous  and  ennobling  sentiment.  I  care  not 
how  cold  and  unfeeling  one  may  be  ;  let  him  only  enter 
the   house  of  mourning  —  be   it  the  house   where  the 


262  THE  WISE  man's  contrasts. 

couch  of  lingering  sickness  has  been  spread  —  where 
the  angel  of  death  has  entered,  breaking  in  upon  the 
quietness,  and  breaking  up  the  happiness  of  that  domes- 
tic circle  —  or  over  which  the  cold  blasts  of  misfortune 
have  swept,  wrecking,  as  in  a  night,  all  that  ministered 
to  comfort  and  hope  ;  let  him  go  and  sit  down  there, 
silently  contemplating  what  humanity  is  called  to  bear, 
and,  if  his  heart  be  not  moved,  that  man  can  have  no 
feeling  but  for  himself :  the  tie  that  binds  him  to  a  com- 
mon humanity  is  severed.  A  monster  of  selfishness, 
he  is  prepared  to  cause  misery,  rather  than  lessen  his 
own  pleasure ;  he  cares  not  for  the  wants  and  woes  of 
others,  except  so  far  as  either  may  interfere  with  the 
gratification  of  his  own  desires.  Hence  it  is  that  ava- 
rice is  so  detestable  a  passion,  because  it  kills  the  heart : 
it  can  exact  its  bond  without  a  sigh  from  the  poor,  des- 
olate widow,  and  snatch  the  last  crumb  from  the  pale 
lips  of  the  orphan.  Hence  it  is,  also,  that  luxury  has 
no  sympathy  for  suffering  humanity,  because  avarice 
hides  itself  under  the  purple  garb,  and  covets  the  means 
of  faring  sumptuously  every  day. 

But  what  reflections  are  these,  rising  so  naturally,  as 
we  enter  the  house  of  mourning?  '  What  if  my  prop- 
erty should  be  wrecked,  my  comforts  scattered  on  the 
winds,  my  loves  torn  from  me  ?  Who  is  it  that  has 
made  me  to  differ?  why  am  I  placed  in  such  enviable 
circumstances  ?  The  time  may  come  when  I  shall  need 
all  the  kindness  and  sympathy  now  demanded  of  me  — 
must  come,  when  I  too  shall  bid  adieu  to  earth,  and  go 
down  to  the  dark,  cold  sepulchre.' 

And  thus  it  is  that  the  house  of  mourning  induces 


THE    WISE    man's    CONTRASTS.  263 

serious,  salutary  thought.  We  cannot  go  there  without 
encountering  some  form  amid  the  various  ills  to  which 
we  ourselves  are  subject ;  without  being  reminded  of 
our  dependence,  our  frailty,  our  mutability,  our  mor- 
tality ;  without  a  renewed  conviction  of  the  vanity  of 
the  world,  the  worth  of  the  soul,  and  the  unutterable 
importance  of  timely  attention  to  our  highest  interest. 

We  may  see  there  a  touching  exhibition  of  the  power 
of  our  blessed  religion  —  how  it  can  sustain  one  under 
the  pressure  of  earthly  ill,  compensate  for  the  absence 
of  worldly  comforts,  and  cheer  the  heart  amid  the  sorest 
trials.  1  have  sometimes  entered  the  house  of  mourn- 
ing with  an  embarrassed  step,  feeling  my  impotence  to 
assuage  the  mourner's  grief.  There  dwelt  one  who  but 
a  few  days  ago  was  the  loved  and  loving  wife  —  her  lit- 
tle ones  around  her,  scarce  conscious  of  their  loss,  but 
weeping  because  their  mother  wept ;  yet,  amid  the  tears 
that  fell  so  fast,  there  was  the  rainbow  of  hope.  Sad  and 
desolate  as  she  appeared,  she  was  not  alone,  nor  were 
her  children  fatherless.  God  was  with  her,  fortifying 
her  soul  by  his  faithful  word  of  promise,  and  warming 
her  heart  with  the  sentiments  of  renewed  devotedness 
to  him,  by  shedding  abroad  there  the  peace-giving  and 
sanctifying  influences  of  his  blessed  Spirit. 

Again,  have  I  approached  the  bedside  of  the  dying; 
and  while  I  thought  how  soon  he  would  take  his  leave 
of  family  and  friends,  and  wing  his  way  to  worlds  un- 
known ;  and  as  1  looked  to  see  his  bosom  heave,  and 
the  tear  fall  —  lo !  all  was  peace,  and  the  dying  man 
passed  away  rejoicing  in  the  hope  of  the  glory  of  God ! 

And,  again,  I  have  gone  where  but  lately  all  was 


SG-l  THE    WISE    man's    CONTRASTS. 

competency  and  comfort.  How  changed  the  scene  !  — 
yet  a  smile  welcomed  my  approach.  Amid  the  pres- 
sure of  sudden  reverse,  I  heard  the  language  of  sweet 
submission  :  "  The  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord  hath  taken 
away  ;  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord."  I  felt  that 
the  peace  of  God  kept  their  hearts  ;  for,  under  all  the 
trials  of  their  lot,  they  poured  forth  the  voice  "  of  prayer 
and  supplication  with  thanksgiving."  Bitter  as  may  be 
the  voice  of  lamentation  and  woe  which  breaks  on  the 
ear  as  we  enter  the  house  of  mourning,  we  may  some- 
times hear  it  blended  with  the  notes  of  thanksgiving  and 
praise  !  Deep  as  is  the  gloom  which  shrouds  that  house, 
it  is  relieved  by  a  ligh-t  from  heaven  ! 

In  other  instances,  we  may  behold  the  sad  want  of 
religion — in  the  mourner's  refusal  to  be  comforted;  in 
the  murmurings  and  curses  which  no  considerations  can 
repress  ;  or  in  the  agony  and  despair  pictured  in  the  face 
of  the  dying  sinner. 

But  thus  it  is  that  the  house  of  mourning,  from  its 
resistless  appeals  to  serious  thought,  and  from  its  not  un- 
frequent  association  with  the  sustaining  power  of  true 
religion,  or  the  deep  wretchedness  of  afflicted  world- 
lings, becomes  the  place  of  incipient  preparation  for  the 
vicissitudes  of  life,  the  solemnities  of  death,  and  the 
issues  of  eternity. 

Solomon  was  right,  therefore,  in  his  conclusion  — 
unless  there  be  no  higher  happiness  than  such  as  this 
world  affords  ;  unless  the  vicissitudes  of  life  be  the  re- 
sult of  a  blind  chance,  and  death  the  ending  of  this  spir- 
itual being  !  But  who  can  deliberately  take  this  ground  ? 
Let  the  skeptic  brood  over  his  dark  thoughts,  and  the 


THE    WISE    man's    CONTRASTS.  265 

epicure  pursue  his  fancied  good,  but  sure  am  I  that  man 
was  made  for  some  higher  purpose  than  the  mere  play 
and  revel  of  the  senses.  What  mean  these  drooping 
spirits,  these  withered  sensibilities,  these  evanescent 
joys,  these  dying  comforts  ?  How  happens  it  that  even 
a  speedy  experience  of  the  world  so  often  extorts  the 
mournful  testimony  —  "All  is  vanity  and  vexation  of 
spirit?"  And  why,  in  the  midst  of  his  darling  plans  — 
while  surrounded  by  every  siren  form,  and  enjoying  all 
the  pleasures  which  the  varying  combinations  of  wealth 
and  fancy  can  secure  —  does  paleness  at  times  steal 
over  his  face,  and  his  heart  sink  and  die  within  him? 
Worldly  happiness  is  but  a  dream  :  our  loves,  and 
hopes,  and  joys,  are  as  delusive  as  the  gilded  forms 
that  visit  our  slumbers  during  the  silence  of  the  night. 

Go  to  the  house  of  mourning,  and  see  the  winding 
up  of  all  the  scenes  of  the  house  of  feasting ;  see  there 
what  a  comment  God  has  made  on  the  feast,  the  song, 
and  the  dance  ;  see  the  evidence  that  neither  the  riches, 
nor  the  honors,  nor  the  pleasures  of  the  world,  can  se- 
cure man's  happiness — that  he  cannot  be  miserable  who 
has  God  for  his  portion,  and  that  hejuust  be  without 
peace  who  is  without  God  in  the  world  !  Yes  ;  listen 
to  that  plaintive  voice  —  'tis  the  voice  of  affectionate 
solicitude :  "  Love  not  the  world,  neither  the  things 
that  are  in  the  world." 

Hark,  again  ! — a  deeper  sound  breaks  on  the  ear  — 
'tis  the  funeral  knell :  "  Be  ye  also  ready:  for  in  such 
an  hour  as  ye  think  not  the  Son  of  man  cometh." 

As  the  result  of  his  contrasts  of  life,  "  the  wise  man's 
23 


266  THE  WISE  man's  contrasts. 

heart  is  in  the  house  of  mourning"  —  there,  to  improve 
its  lessons,  or  to  sympathize  with  its  inmates.  Even 
while  in  the  house  of  feasting,  he  forgets  not  that  the 
house  of  mourning  is  hard  by  ;  and  thus  preserves  that 
seriousness  of  disposition  which  is  so  proper  as  well  as 
important  in  a  state  of  things  where  we  are  either  daily 
sinning  and  suffering  ourselves,  or  forced  to  witness  the 
sins  and  sufferings  of  others  ;  and  thus,  also,  amid  all 
the  good  things  of  this  life,  he  aims  to  use  the  world 
without  thankless  elation  or  immoderate  indulgence.  As 
though  he  should  say  :  '  Time  was  when  I  was  thought- 
less and  frivolous,  having  no  feeling  separate  from  the 
gratification  of  self — no  purpose  apart  from  worldly 
gains  and  pleasures.  Now,  with  what  different  thoughts 
do  I  look  on  the  world,  and  with  what  higher  sentiments 
do  I  regard  my  being  !  It  is  a  serious  thing  to  live  — 
a  yet  more  serious  thing  to  die !  What  awaits  me  I 
know  not,  nor  would  I  venture  to  predict.  "  Have  I 
received  good  at  the  hands  of  God,  and  shall  I  not 
receive  evil  ?"  My  house  may  yet  become  the  house 
of  mourning ;  but  whatever  the  cup  which  may  be  pre- 
paring for  me,  may  I  cultivate  those  sentiments  of  trust 
and  hope  in  God  which  will  enable  me  in  the  hour  of 
trial  to  say,  "  The  cup  which  my  Father  hath  given 
me,  shall  I  not  drink  of  it?"  This  house,  which  I  call 
my  own,  is  not  my  abiding-place.  It  was  erected,  in 
God's  good  providence,  merely  to  lodge  me  on  my  way 
to  eternity.  It  will  ere  long  become  the  house  of  mourn- 
ing—  mourning  for  me!  Let  me  so  walk  before  my 
household  as  to  leave  behind  me  the  memory  of  the 
righteous  ;  so  depart,  that  they  whom  I  leave  behind, 


THE    WISE    man's    CONTRASTS.  267 

mourn  not  without  the  hope  of  ultimately  meeting  me 
"  in  a  house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heav- 
ens !"  ' 

But  the  heart  of  fools  is  in  the  house  of  mirth ;  that 
is,  they  think,  they  dream  of  pleasure,  and  all  their  talk 
is  of  what  they  have  enjoyed,  or  the  joys  they  antici- 
pate. They  have  no  heart  but  for  sport  and  gayety  — 
for  the  humorous  joke,  the  amusing  story,  the  lively 
song,  the  boon  companion  —  for  eating  and  drinking  — 
blithesome  days  and  merry  nights.  Pleasure  is  the  end 
and  aim  of  all  their  plans  and  movements  ;  and  thus 
their  way  is  their  folly :  this  shows  them  to  be  devoid 
of  wisdom,  because  they  have  left  out  of  account  their 
dependence  on  God  for  "life,  and  breath,  and  all 
things  ;"  because  they  vainly  think  that  "  God  will  not 
see  nor  regard  them  ;"  because  they,  too,  must  meet 
with  disappointment,  and  care,  and  trouble  ;  nor  can 
they  entirely  shut  out  from  view  the  evils  of  life,  or  ward 
off  the  fear  of  death.  They,  too,  must  die  !  and  death 
may  come  upon  them  in  the  midst  of  their  sinful  joys,  and 
find  them  wiprepared  to  meet  their  God  in  judgment. 

I  know  that  religion  wears  a  melancholy  aspect  to  the 
earth-bound  mind,  as  if  "  she  were  clothed  in  deep 
mourning,  with  a  coffin  for  her  writing-desk,  and  a  skull 
for  an  inkstand ;"  and  some  of  my  readers  may  be  in- 
clined to  think  that,  by  such  a  train  of  reflections,  I  have 
only  deepened  the  gloom  with  which  the  subject  is  nat- 
urally invested  in  the  view  of  all  "  the  lovers  of  pleas- 
ure." Were  this  the  fact,  however,  it  would  not  lessen 
its  urgent  importance,  nor  render  its  neglect  in  any  wise 
the  less  hazardous.     No  love  of  pleasure  can  obviate  its 


268  THE  WISE  man's  contrasts. 

imperative  claims ;  nor  can  one's  levity  and  folly  make 
it  a  less  serious  thing  to  die  and  face  the  Judge !  Why 
should  it  be  a  gloomy  subject,  but  because  we  arc  in 
love  with  sense  and  sin  ?  How  can  it  be,  unless  we  are 
indifferent  to  God's  favor,  and  averse  from  our  highest 
good?  What,  indeed,  is  the  design  of  all  true  religion, 
but  to  secure  to  us  deliverance  from  that  gloom  which 
naturally  accompanies  our  thoughts  of  affliction  and 
death?  —  so  that  we  may  welcome  afflictions  as  the 
tokens  of  a  Father's  love — welcome  crosses  as  the 
badges  of  our  heaven-born  faith,  and  even  exult  in  the 
promise  and  prospect  of  a  new  and  endless  life ! 


THE    SON    OF    GOD.  269 


THE  SON  OF  GOD. 

Had  we  mingled  with  the  throng  around  the  cross, 
and  witnessed  the  miraculous  phenomena  which  nature 
exhibited  when  "  Jesus  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  and 
gave  up  the  ghost,"  in  all  probability  ours  would  have 
been  the  same  testimony  that  burst  from  the  lips  of  the 
Roman  centurion.  But  no  testimony  from  nature's 
works,  nor  sign  from  heaven,  is  indispensable  to  the 
conviction  that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God  :  his  character 
indubitably  attests  the  divinity  of  his  origin. 

In  passing,  therefore,  from  Old-Testament  times  to 
the  days  of  Christ  and  his  aposdes,  it  will  be  necessary, 
to  the  more  effective  prosecution  of  our  object  in  this 
work,  to  delineate  his  character;  for  unless  it  can  be 
shown  that,  in  one  important  respect,  the  past  has  no 
parallel  in  the  present,  it  cannot  be  proved  that  He  to 
whom  the  patriarchs  and  prophets  referred,  did  come  in 
the  flesh ;  or  that  the  Christian  oracles  are  of  equal 
authority  with  the  Hebrew  Scriptures. 

We  are  aware  of  the  difficulty,  and  that  we  may  be 
only  exposing  ourselves  to  the  charge  of  presumption. 
His  character  should  be  drawn,  as  his  praise  is  hymned, 
by  loftier  spirits.  But,  problematical  as  success  may  be, 
we  may  not  desist  from  the  attempt.  It  is  the  theme 
of  fond  contemplation  ;  the  subject  of  never-tiring  and 

03* 


270  THE    SON    OF    GOD. 

instructive  study  ;  the  model  which  imparts  sublimity  to 
the  humblest  purpose  that  aspires  to  imitate. 

As  we  turn  from  the  perusal  of  some  of  Plutarch's 
"  Lives,"  pained  as  we  have  been  by  the  conviction  of 
defects  and  weaknesses  in  the  most  renowned  of  mor- 
tals, what  a  relief  is  afforded  to  the  mind  by  the  memo- 
rabilia of  Him  who  was  "  holy,  harmless,  undefiled,  and 
separate  from  sinners  !"  When  the  heart  is  oppressed 
by  the  various  revolting  aspects  that  pervade  the  whole 
field  of  human  character,  how  delightful  to  repose  the 
eye  on  the  only  spot  that,  by  the  freshness  and  depth  of 
its  verdure,  so  amply  compensates  for  the  dreariness  of 
the  moral  waste!  When,  too,  the  indefinite  and  ab- 
stract Hneaments  of  philosophic  virtue  fail  to  attract  and 
animate,  how  does  the  character  of  Jesus,  embodied  as 
it  is  in  living,  natural  representation,  tend  to  warm  and 
to  quicken,  while  it  guides  the  spirit  that  is  in  man  to 
the  source  and  centre  of  all  perfection  ! 

The  Jews,  at  the  period  we  contemplate,  had  lost 
both  their  purity  and  their  freedom.  In  the  grossness 
of  their  views,  they  overlooked  the  spiritual  design  of 
their  institutions,  and  regarded  the  Messiah  of  their 
prophecies  and  promises  as  a  temporal  deliverer.  They 
had  often  been  conquered,  and  as  often  the  God  of  their 
fathers  had  achieved  their  freedom  by  some  chosen  ser- 
vant :  and  now,  though  again  enslaved,  and  that  to  a 
nation  whose  wings  overspread  the  world,  yet  the  expe- 
rience of  the  past  taught  them  not  to  despair  ;  while  the 
recorded  predictions  of  ancient  prophets  imparted  to  their 
bosoms  the  life  and  vigor  of  a  hope  that  upheld  them  in 
their  degradation,  and  consoled  them  in  their  miseries. 


THE    SON    OF    GOD.  271 

The  fulness  of  time  had  come :  expectation  was  at 
its  height.  Imagination  had  gathered  around  the  com- 
ing Messiah  the  insignia  of  royalty,  the  splendors  of 
greatness,  and  the  terrors  of  military  conquest.  Ambi- 
tion beheld  Judea  already  rising  from  the  dust  of  her 
thraldom,  slaking  her  revenge  in  the  blood  of  her  foes, 
advancing  over  all  opposition,  and  triumphantly  assuming 
the  dominion  of  the  world. 

During  this  their  state  of  feverish  preparation,  a  re- 
markable star  appeared,  attracting  the  notice  of  certain 
eastern  sages,  and  guiding  them,  in  their  search  for  the 
new-born  king  of  the  Jews,  to  the  town  of  Bethlehem. 
But  what  was  there  in  the  condition  of  the  infant  Jesus 
to  betoken  so  high  a  destiny  ?  Yet  he  claimed,  on  arri- 
ving at  manhood,  the  character  of  the  long-expected 
Messiah.  True,  he  was  not  the  only  one  who  made 
such  an  extraordinary  claim.  No  time  could  have  been 
more  favorable  to  ambitious  pretensions  :  it  needed  but 
shrewdness  enough  to  discern  the  signs  of  the  times, 
and  adroitness  enough  to  adapt  one's  appearance  and 
movements  to  the  views  and  wishes  of  the  people,  to 
secure  their  credence  and  enlist  their  aid. 

Hence  impostors  arose  in  succession,  each  aiming 
to  establish  and  exalt  himself  by  succumbing  to  the  na- 
tional sentiment,  and  flattering  vulgar  prejudices ;  and 
thus  insuring  their  ultimate  defeat,  by  the  very  means 
which  infatuated  both  them  and  their  followers  with  the 
hope  of  speedy  success.  But  what  could  have  been  so 
contrary  to  their  preconceptions  of  the  Messiah  as  the 
character  which  Jesus  presented  —  so  fraught  with  dis- 
appointment to  nil  their  fondly-cherished  hopes,  as  the 


272  THE    SON    OF    GOD. 

sentiments  which  he  avowed  ?  Instead  of  an  heroic 
leader,  he  was  a  spiritual  teacher ;  instead  of  a  warrior, 
a  peace-maker ;  instead  of  having  the  trappings  of  regal 
dignity,  and  the  ostentatious  appendages  of  proud  great- 
ness, he  seemed  a  meek  and  lowly  man  :  and,  so  far 
from  identifying  himself  with  the  cause  of  his  country, 
though  she  was  sighing  for  deliverance  from  the  Roman 
yoke,  he  assumed  the  unwonted  position  —  "My  king- 
dom is  not  of  this  world."  The  Jew  had  no  thought 
of  duty  beyond  the  limits  of  his  own  land,  and  no  ideas 
of  greatness  separate  from  the  wonted  earth-born  schemes 
of  territorial  conquest  and  military  renown  :  but  Jesus 
looked  out  from  his  obscure  birthplace,  to  survey  the 
dark  regions  of  the  earth ;  and,  in  view  of  the  nations 
which  had  been  so  long  enslaved  to  error,  and  envel- 
oped in  the  darkness  of  a  moral  night,  declared  himself 
to  be  the  light  of  the  world  ! 

Alexander  sighed  for  more  worlds  to  conquer,  and 
many  a  Caesar  has  madly  aimed  to  wield  the  sceptre  of 
universal  dominion.  Napoleon  even  aspired  to  fill  all 
the  thrones  of  Europe  with  kings  bearing  his  own  name  : 
but  ambition,  amid  its  brightest  visions  of  glory,  had 
never  dreamed  of  undermining  the  consolidated  opin- 
ions of  ages,  and  of  converting  the  world  into  a  spiritual 
temple. 

Firm  in  the  belief  of  national  deities,  the  Gentile 
doubted  neither  the  reality  nor  the  sufficiency  of  his 
country's  religion,  nor  thought  it  applicable  to  the  con- 
dition of  any  other  people.  Hence,  when  the  oracle  at 
Delphi  was  asked,  "what  rites  or  worship  were  most 
acceptable  to  the  gods,"  the  answer  was,  "  Those  which 


THE    SON    OF    GOD.  273 

are  legally  established  in  each  city."  Thus,  an  ac- 
knowledged principle  of  mutual  toleration  secured  the 
religious  concord  of  the  Gentile  world  ;  while  the  Jews 
were  restrained  from  interference  by  the  haughtiness  of 
their  national  sentiments.  In  their  view,  all  heathen 
nations  were  unw^orthy  of  notice  ;  and  if  on  no  condition 
they  would  admit  within  the  sacred  precincts  of  the 
Mount  the  idolater's  unhallowed  foot,  much  less  would 
they  think  of  abolishing  their  ritual,  and  demolishing 
their  temple,  in  order  to  estabhsh  a  rehgion  in  which 
the  Gentile  would  be  their  equal  —  alike  the  children 
of  the  same  God,  and  the  heirs  of  a  common  inherit- 
ance. 

In  all  these  respects,  however,  Jesus,  though  born  a 
Jew,   betrayed    no   sympathy   with    the   Jewish    mind. 
Though  reared  amid   those  influences   of  humble   life 
which  naturally  incline  the  youthful  mind  to  imbibe  im- 
pressions from  without,  and  to  defer  to  existing  author- 
ity, yet  was  he  independent  in  his  views,  and  thought 
for  himself  but  to  disdain  compliance  with  Jewish  preju- 
dices, and  mortify  the  pride  of  national  ambition.     With- 
out intercourse  with  the  learned,  or  access  to  books  — 
without  either  riches  or  patronage  —  he  formed  a  scheme 
as  sublime  as  it  was  new  :    that  of  delivering  the  world 
from  the  bondage  of  sin  and  error,  and  uniting  all  na- 
tions in  the  bonds  of  a  common  faith   and  hope  —  even 
faith  in  his  mission,  and  hope  in  his  salvation  !     Truly, 
the  most  obscure  rustic   might  as  readily,  and,  to  all 
human  view,  as  reasonably,  have  thought  of  uprooting 
the  everlasting  hills,  or  of  changing  the  tides  of  the 
ocean. 


274  THE    SON    OF    GOD. 

So  foreign  from  the  mental  views  of  that  period  was 
the  conception  of  a  new  and  universal  religion,  that 
even  they  who  regarded  Christ  as  the  Messiah  were 
slow  to  comprehend  the  nature  of  his  kingdom  ;  nor 
did  they  at  the  close  of  his  ministry  fully  take  in  the 
grand  idea  which  his  gospel  unfolds.  His  mighty  works 
might  disarm  skepticism  ;  but,  original  and  sublime  as 
was  his  purpose,  it  could  not  overcome  the  blinding 
power  of  bigotry.  Multitudes  might  throng  his  pres- 
ence, and  not  a  few  attach  themselves  to  his  person  ; 
still,  in  his  freedom  from  all  local  views  and  temporary 
suggestions  —  in  his  superiority  to  the  spirit  which 
breathed  through  the  looks  and  words  of  his  country- 
men—  he  was  alone  —  as  it  were  a  solitary  being,  dwel- 
ling in  his  own  high  thoughts  and  solenm  purposes; 
neither  daunted  by  the  opposition  of  his  enemies,  nor 
discouraged  by  the  dulness  of  his  followers ;  under  all 
circumstances  retaining  the  consciousness  which  from 
the  first  he  evinced,  of  sustaining  a  pecidiar  relation  to 
both  God  and  man  :  hence,  speaking  as  never  man  spoke 
—  without  either  arrogance  or  diffidence,  affectation  or 
precipitance  —  calmly,  yet  decidedly  ;  concisely,  yet 
explicitly  —  his  every  word  and  action  betokening  a  mis- 
sion of  vast  import,  an  object  without  a  parallel. 

As  he  had  no  human  sympathy  in  his  mysterious  sor- 
rows, so  he  took  counsel  with  no  one  ;  and  though  all 
his  acts  resulted  from  his  own  unaided  thoughts,  yet 
was  he  never  necessitated  to  recall  or  undo  any  thing 
he  had  once  said  or  done.  Avoiding  no  searching  sus- 
picion, answering  every  incredulous  inquiry,  ofttimes 
anticipating  the  expression  of  human  thought  —  always 


THE    SON   OF    GOD.  275. 

Uttering  his  views  without  deliberation  or  hesitancy,  and, 
under  all  circumstances,  acting  out  his  irrepressible  con- 
victions of  duty,  —  he  placed  the  truth  of  what  he  said 
on  authority,  and  left  his  deeds  to  speak  for  themselves. 
Before  the  light  of  heaven,  and  in  the  face  of  the  world, 
he  laid  legitimate  claim  to  the  Messiahship  :  "  If  ye 
believe  not  that  I  am  He,  ye  shall  die  in  your  sins." 

It  is  natural  to  think  that  nothing  of  moment  can  be 
achieved  without  the  patronage  of  authority  or  the  aid 
of  wealth :   hence,  in  all  human  projects,  the  counte- 
nance of  rulers  is  solicited,  or  pecuniary  means  are  col- 
lected ;  while  the  influence  of  rank  and  fashion  is  indis- 
pensable to  the  spread  of  any  corrupt  form  of  reUgion. 
This  is  the  well-known  policy  of  the  world,  and,  where- 
soever or  by  whomsoever  adopted,  it  designates  the  man 
and  the   movement  to  be   of  the  world.     But  Jesus, 
though  his  friends  were  confined  to  the  illiterate  and 
obscure,  did  neither  court  the  favor  nor  fear  the  influence 
of  the  great.      There  is  no  instance  of  that  fawning  def- 
erence to  pomp  and  power  which  invariably  character- 
izes men  of  sinister  aims  ;  yet  there  is  no  evidence  that 
he  ever  faltered  in  his  purpose,  or  fainted  under  dis- 
couragement.    Bold  and  stupendous  as  was  his  design, 
he  looked  forward  to  its  accomplishment  with  a  confi- 
dence which  nothing  short  of  actual  prescience  could 
inspire  or  justify.     Bigotry,  in  all  its  heartless  and  dark 
projects  —  infidelity,  in  all   its  envenomed  and  ruthless 
forms,  would  be  arrayed  against  his   claims  ;  but  his 
right  to  reign  king  of  the  Jews  would  be  only  the  more 
apparent  and  the  more  generally  admitted.     The  pow- 
ers of  thrones,  the  intellectual  and  moral  habits  of  the 


276"  THE    SON    OF    GOD. 

world,  would  be  called  forth  in  opposition  to  his  design, 
only  to  be  defeated  with  signal  overthrow.  His  own 
reputation  would  be  assailed,  his  motives  impeached,  his 
friends  scattered  like  sheep  ;  nay,  his  own  life  must  be 
sacrificed  :  but  that  gospel  of  his  would  go  on  co7iquering 
and  to  conquer !  All  this  he  distinctly  foresaw;  and, 
instead  of  holding  out  to  his  disciples  any  prospect  of 
worldly  grandeur,  or  even  a  promise  of  exemption  from 
worldly  ill,  he  gave  them  to  understand  what  would  be 
the  consequences  to  themselves  of  adherence  to  his  per- 
son ;  how  they  would  be  hated  of  all  men  for  his  sake  — 
persecuted  and  put  to  death.  Scrutinize  his  course  as 
we  may,  we  shall  look  in  vain  for  any  of  the  arts  by 
which  impostors  invariably  aim  to  delude  the  multitude, 
or  for  any  of  those  motives  by  which  men  engaged  in  a 
forlorn  cause  contrive  to  sustain,  if  not  their  own,  at 
least  the  spirit  of  their  followers.  He  foretells,  nay, 
calmly  depicts  those  acts  of  violence  which,  to  all  hu- 
man view,  were  to  frustrate  his  plans  —  involving  his 
disciples  with  himself  in  infamy  and  ruin  !  '  There,  on 
yonder  hill,  is  the  cross  erected  for  Him  whom  you  re- 
gard as  your  Messiah! — that,  the  ignominious  and 
accursed  death  which  I  am  doomed  to  suffer ;  but  my 
death  will  be  the  life  of  the  world.  "  The  Son  of  man 
must  be  crucified  and  slain,  but  the  third  day  he  shall 
rise  again."  ' 

Thus,  in  his  allusions  to  the  tragic  scenes  of  Calvary, 
he  showed  in  only  a  more  striking  light  that  neither  the 
powers  of  earth  nor  of  hell  could  shake  his  purpose,  or 
impair  his  confidence  in  the  ultimate  triumph  of  his 
cause.     It  was  this,  which,  in  despite  of  the  treachery 


THE    SON    OF    GOD.  277 

of  friends,  the  malice  of  enemies,  the  ingratitude  of 
those  whom  he  had  blessed,  bore  him  on  toward  his 
object ;  this,  which,  amid  the  humiliating  scenes  of  his 
trial,  imparted  to  his  character  an  unparalleled  degree 
of  moral  elevation. 

But  if,  from  these  views  of  the  Messiahship  of  Christ, 
we  turn  to  other  aspects  of  his  history,  we  shall  perceive 
the  same  striking  contrariety  to  the  temper  of  his  times. 

No  feelings  were  more  common  to  both  the  Jew  and 
the  Gentile  than  pride  and  vanity.  That  greatness 
which  is  founded  in  humbleness  of  mind,  and  rises  in 
proportion  to  self-abasement,  was  as  remote  from  the 
conceptions  of  either  as  from  their  character.  Without 
a  suspicion  of  its  flagrant  inconsistency  with  man's  con- 
ditioij  and  relations,  pride  was  universally  indulged ; 
while,  in  the  wide-spread  deference  that  was  paid  to 
rank  and  riches,  to  intellect  and  learning,  to  strength 
and  beauty,  public  opinion  sanctioned  the  exhibition  of 
vanity.  But  wherein  did  Jesus  betray  any  indications 
of  this  spirit,  or  any  sympathy  with  its  gratified  indul- 
gence ?  It  was  reserved  for  him  to  unfold  an  example 
of  humility  such  as  the  world  had  never  seen  nor  im- 
agined, and  that,  under  circumstances  which,  we  had 
almost  said,  might  have  justified  emotions  of  pride. 
Announced  to  the  world  in  the  songs  of  angels  —  as  the 
subject  of  prophecy,  the  antitype  of  institutions,  and  of 
a  long  succession  of  illustrious  personages ;  receiving 
homage  from  the  loftiest  spirits,  and  proclaimed  the  be- 
loved Son  of  God  by  a  voice  from  heaven  ;  possessing 
wisdom  more  profound  than  ever  man  attained,  and 
power  which  controlled  the  elements — who  but  Christ, 

24 


278  THE    SON    OF    GOD. 

might  be  excused  in  entertaining  lofty  sentiments  of 
himself,  or  in  assuming  a  superior  bearing  among  men  ? 
yet  who  was  ever  further  removed  from  vainglory,  or 
so  devoid  of  all  feelings  allied  to  self-complacent  exul- 
tation ? 

He  rose  from  the  poorest  condition,  yet  was  he  not 
uplifted.  Hosannas  greeted  his  approach,  and  garments 
were  strewed  along  his  pathway  ;  but  the  momentary 
applause  of  the  multitude  wrought  no  change  in  his 
demeanor.  Still  he  trode  life's  lowliest  walks,  and  as- 
sociated with  the  children  of  poverty  and  sorrow. 

The  same  modesty  and  simplicity  characterized  his 
manners  and  address,  with  the  same  freedom  from  arro- 
gance and  ostentation  that  adorned  the  wisdom  of  his 
teachings.  Studiously  avoiding  both  personal  display 
and  worldly  honors,  he  dwelt  in  a  despised  place  — 
refused  to  be  called  Master  —  rejected  the  flattery  when 
he  was  called  "  good"  —  and  even  commanded  his  deeds 
of  mercy  to  be  kept  Secret.  When  sought  by  his  coun- 
trymen, that  they  might  place  him  on  a  throne,  he  re- 
tired to  the  desert.  Where  any  one  else  would  have 
been  intensely  anxious — painfully  awake  to  the  sound 
of  approaching  footsteps  —  he  "laid  aside  his  garment, 
girded  himself  with  a  towel,  and  washed  his  disciples' 
feet."  Even  when  condemned  at  the  bar  of  the  San- 
hedrim, he  voluntarily  submitted  to  the  humiliating 
sentence  ! 

His  meekness,  too,  is  equally  remarkable.  Vindic- 
tive sentiments,  still  so  prevalent,  were  more  than  sanc- 
tioned—  were  applauded  —  at  the  period  of  the  Messiah. 
"  An  eye  for  an  eye,  and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth,"  was  one 


THE    SO:^   OP    GOD.  279 

of  the  traditionary  maxims  of  the  Jews  ;  while  the  Gen- 
tile could  not  refrain  from  cherishing  a  motive  of  action 
whit'i  eloquence  had  emblazoned  and  religion  deified. 

But  behold  the  Moralist  and  Reformer  of  the  world  ! 
Not  only  did  he  enjoin,  and  that  on  peculiar  grounds, 
the  duties  of  kindness,  forbearance,  and  forgiveness  — 
he  exemplified  these  principles  of  his  religion  amid  the 
severest  trials  to  which  humanity  is  subject.  Oppressed 
by  the  vilest  ingratitude,  loaded  with  the  most  wanton 
abuse,  he  nevertheless  bore  all  with  unruffled  meekness. 
Though  his  character  was  defamed,  his  actions  pervert- 
ed, and  his  words  misconstrued,  the  malice  of  his  ene- 
mies served  but  to  reflect  in  a  stronger  light  his  superi- 
ority to  insult  and  injury;  for  "when  he  was  reviled, 
he  reviled  not  again,  and  when  he  suffered  he  threat- 
ened not." 

He  is  exposed  to  the  contradiction  of  sinners,  calum- 
niated as  a  wine-bibber,  a  sabbath-breaker,  a  madman 
—  he  is  even  denounced  as  a  devil!  How  eager  they 
are  to  cast  him  down  from  yonder  precipice  !  even  his 
brethren  reject  him  —  he  has  not  where  to  lay  his  head  ! 
But  all  this  was  suffered  without  murmuring  or  despon- 
dency. On  no  occasion  can  we  detect  any  sign  of  re- 
sentment, or  overhear  any  reproachful  or  unkind  expres- 
sion. Even  amid  the  mockings  and  bufFetings  of  his 
persecutors,  he  opened  not  his  mouth  :  and,  when 
stretched  in  agony  upon  the  ignominious  cross,  he 
prayed  for  the  forgiveness  of  his  murderers  ;  and  im- 
parted to  a  wretched  malefactor,  who  was  crucified  by 
his  side,  an  assurance  of  pardoned  sin  and  immortal 
glory ! 


280  THE    SON    OF    GOD. 

Should  it  be  asked  what,  in  a  word,  was  the  essential 
and  peculiar  element  of  Christ's  character,  we  answer, 
benevolence  —  full,  free,  disinterested,  and  immutable! 
This  pre-eminently  distinguished  him  from  the  best  of 
his  age  and  nation.  It  was  such  as  the  world  had  never 
seen,  nor  will  ever  see,  unless  Christ  himself  should 
again  appear  in  the  flesh.  Not  that  the  virtue  of  benev- 
olence was  then  unknown  or  neglected  ;  but  it  was 
restrained  and  depressed  by  partial  and  contracted  no- 
tions. There  were  the  recognised  offices  of  kin,  of 
friendship,  and  of  patriotism  ;  and  there  had  been  among 
different  people  occasional  instances  of  warm  and  de- 
voted friendship,  and  self-sacrificing  patriotism  ;  but  all 
such  instances,  though  emblazoned  on  the  page  of  his- 
tory, fade  away  before  the  resplendent  lustre  of  Christ's 
generous  spirit,  shining  as  it  did  through  his  every  sen- 
timent and  action,  and  irradiating  as  with  a  sunbeam 
man's  relations  and  duties  to  his  neighbor.  Without 
reference  to  the  distinctions  of  country,  of  rank,  of  rela- 
tionship, or  of  friendship,  he  went  about  doing  good. 
Neither  Jew  nor  Gentile  as  such,  but  as  man,  was  the 
object  of  his  love  :  the  hated  Samaritan,  no  less  than 
ihe  contemptuous  Judean ;  the  despised  publican  as 
well  as  the  proud  Pharisee  —  not  the  remotest  stranger 
was  disregarded,  nor  the  bitterest  enemy  excluded  — 
embracing  as  his  love  did  all  the  members,  respecting 
as  his  mission  did  all  the  interests  of  the  human  race. 

Hence,  though  born  in  the  most  bigoted  age  of  the 
most  bigoted  nation,  he  never  imbibed  a  prejudice  nor 
entertained  an  illiberal  sentiment.  Inflexible  in  his  at- 
tachment to  the  great  principles  of  morality  and  of  piety, 


THE    SON    OF    GOD.  281 

but  as  far  removed  from  the  blinding  influence  of  selfish 
passion  as  from  the  contractedness  of  ignorance  —  when 
did  he  ever  show  any  bigoted  regard  to  the  doctrines 
of  his  nation,  or  to  the  peculiarities  of  a  sect?  What 
sentiment  did  he  either  embrace  or  reject,  because  it 
had  been  received  or  opposed  by  the  people  ?  So  far 
from  public  opinion  having  led  him  to  adopt  any  cus- 
tom it  sanctioned,  even  its  denunciations  could  not 
deter  him  from  practices  which  he  deemed  innocent. 
Godlike  benevolence  at  once  impelled  and  enabled  him 
to  withstand  the  narrow  spirit  of  his  nation,  and  to  do 
good  unto  all  men  without  partiality.  To  this,  the  gra- 
cious character  of  his  miracles  bears  resistless  testimony. 
Whose  eyes  were  not  opened,  whose  leprosy  was  not 
cleansed  —  though  he  might  have  been  either  a  friend 
or  a  foe,  a  scribe  or  a  Pharisee,  a  Jew  or  Samaritan  ? 
He  wrought  miracles  in  behalf  of  some  whose  enmity 
he  knew  would  continue  to  the  last  with  undiminished 
virulence. 

Malicious  as  was  the  opposition  he  encountered,  he 
did  not  desist.  Keen  as  was  the  ingratitude  he  daily 
experienced,  he  was  not  overcome — ever  moving  on 
his  undisturbed  way,  like  the  sun  amid  encompassing 
clouds  and  raging  tempests. 

When  he  approached  the  city  whose  ingratitude  had 
been  perpetuated  in  the  names  of  its  slaughtered  proph- 
ets, and  now  was  doubly  enhanced  by  the  disbelief  of 
his  own  mighty  works  —  the  injuries  which  it  had 
heaped  on  him,  and  the  means  which  it  was  devising 
to  deprive  him  of  his  hfe  —  he  forgot  his  own  danger, 
so  absorbed  was  he  in  its  approaching  destruction  :   he 

24* 


882  THE    SON    OF    GOD. 

even  wept  over  the  guilty,  abandoned  spot,  and  cried 
with  inexpressible  tenderness  :  "  O  Jerusalem,  Jerusa- 
lem, which  killest  the  prophets  and  stonest  them  that 
are  sent  unto  thee ;  how  often  would  I  have  gathered 
thy  children  together,  as  a  hen  doth  gather  her  brood 
under  her  wings;  and  ye  would  not!"  On  another 
occasion,  when  he  looked  out  on  the  multitude,  "  he 
had  compassion  on  them,  because  they  were  scattered, 
and  were  as  sheep  without  a  shepherd."  On  entering 
the  gate  of  Nain,  he  met  the  funeral  of  a  "young  man, 
who  was  the  only  son  of  his  mother,  and  she  a  widow." 
Jesus  was  moved  to  compassion,  and  said  unto  her, 
"  Weep  not."  He  resuscitated  the  young  man,  and  de- 
livered him  back  to  his  mother.  Nay,  while  he  himself 
was  expiring  amid  the  agonies  of  crucifixion,  he  forgot 
not  the  distress  and  desolate  situation  of  his  mother, 
and  made  provision  for  her  protection  and  support. 
Can  the  records  of  history  present  an  example  of  such 
benevolence  ? 

He  came  to  restore  in  man  the  lost  image  of  his  God 
—  to  diffuse  universal  happiness,  by  inculcating  the 
principles  of  a  pure  and  peaceful  religion.  Whatever 
objections  might  be  urged  against  the  nature  of  his  au- 
thoritative requirements,  it  must  be  admitted  that  he 
had  no  private  end  to  answer :  this  is  demonstrable  by 
his  impartial  censures  and  commendations  ;  by  the  bold- 
ness and  sincerity  of  his  reproofs ;  by  his  plain,  unam- 
biguous speech,  equally  remote  from  either  servile  flat- 
tery or  sinister  reserve.  When  did  he  hesitate  to  arraign 
the  vices  and  expose  the  hypocrisy  of  the  scribes  and 
Pharisees?  or  when  did  he  fail   to  rebuke  the  faithless- 


THE    SON    OF    GOD.  2S3 

ness  of  his  disciples?  If  he  failed  not  to  expose  the 
errors  of  his  foes,  he  overlooked  not  the  weaknesses 
and  faults  of  his  friends  ;  if  severe  on  the  former,  it  was 
because  he  was  just  to  the  latter.  Insensible  to  the 
praise  of  man,  he  betrayed  no  dread  of  popular  odium. 
What  to  him  was  the  world's  applause  or  obloquy,  com- 
pared to  the  interests  of  the  lost  whom  he  came  to  seek 
and  to  save  ?  Neither  coveting  popular  favor  nor  dread- 
ing the  world's  frowns,  he  declared  the  truth,  not  in  one 
manner  to  his  friends  and  in  another  to  his  enemies,  but 
alike  to  both,  as  to  rational  and  immortal  beings,  ame- 
nable to  the  Judge  of  quick  and  dead. 

Bent  on  accomplishing  his  beneficent  errand,  though 
it  might  lead  him  through  toils  and  trials,  not  even  the 
most  appalling  dangers  could  shake  his  constancy. 
Wonderful  to  relate,  he  came  to  live  and  to  die  for  his 
enemies !  Yes  ;  and  he  did  die,  as  he  had  lived,  for 
his  enemies !  This  is  the  finishing  stroke  in  the  char- 
acter of  our  blessed  Lord :  it  places  the  crown  on  his 
head.  Could  we  detect  the  faintest  trace  of  selfishness, 
how  would  it  mar  the  beauty  of  his  aspect,  and  dim  the 
glory  of  his  cross ! 

We  might  advert  to  other  traits  ;  for  he  united  in  him- 
self every  possible  excellence,  and  each  in  the  highest 
degree.  It  was  this  union  of  seemingly  irreconcilable 
but  essentially  harmonious  qualities  that  constituted  the 
singular  perfection  of  his  virtue.  In  humanity,  the 
stronger  virtues  are  seldom  without  austerity,  and  the 
softer  seldom  without  feebleness ;  while  no  man  ever 
embodied  in  himself  the  active  with  the  contemplative 
virtues,  and  the  heroic  with  the  tender.     As  we  explore 


284  THE    SON   OF    GOD. 

the  records  of  the  past,  various  characters  rise  up,  and 
in  turn  challenge  our  admiration  for  their  noble  quali- 
ties or  amiable  sentiments ;  it  may  be,  our  reverence 
for  their  love  of  truth  and  adherence  to  right — the  tri- 
umphs of  principle,  or  the  flights  of  piety :  but  look 
where  we  may,  we  find  hit  one  Jesus  !  In  him,  there  is 
no  approach  to  any  of  those  infirmities,  inconsistencies, 
or  defects  that  impair  the  force,  mar  the  symmetry,  and 
betray  the  incompleteness  of  ail  human  virtue. 

His  spirituality  did  not  preclude  his  intercourse  with 
the  world,  nor  did  his  love  of  retirement  interfere  with  his 
duties  to  society.  If  he  spoke  of  great  things,  it  was 
with  ease  and  simplicity.  If  he  condescended  to  min- 
gle with  sinners  in  the  market-place,  or  to  sit  at  meat 
with  publicans,  it  was  with  purity  and  dignity.  Zealous 
without  rashness,  so  was  he  prudent  without  timidity. 
Indignant  at  sin,  he  yet  could  compassionate  the  sinner. 
Ardent  in  his  feelings,  he  ever  maintained  self-posses- 
sion. Intent  with  unmitigated  urgency  on  the  great 
errand  of  his  hfe,  yet  no  opposition  perturbed  the  tran- 
quillity of  his  mind.  Still  more  remarkable  —  expan- 
sive as  was  his  benevolence,  it  did  not  impair  the  force 
of  his  private  ties ;  nor  was  the  authority  which  he 
claimed  as  the  Saviour  of  men,  at  variance  with  the 
love  and  obedience  which  he  owed  as  a  son.  How 
many  miracles  did  he  perform  for  the  supply  of  others' 
wants,  yet  not  one  for  his  own  !  How  superior  was  he  to 
the  interests  and  pleasures  of  the  world,  yet  gentle  in 
manners,  and  free  from  austerity !  How  exposed  on 
every  hand  to  the  strongest  temptations,  yet  continently 
keeping  himself  "  unspotted  from  the  world  !" 


THE    SON    OF    GOD.  285 

The  sole  reason  of  that  hatred  which  he  ceaselessly 
encountered  was,  the  disappointment  of  Jewish  ambi- 
tion ;  and  the  only  charge  which  his  nation  preferred 
against  him  was,  his  prophecy  respecting  the  speedy 
destruction  of  their  temple  and  state.  He  led  a  life  of 
toil,  privation,  and  suffering,  without  a  murmur  ;  he 
submitted  to  a  death  of  shame,  desertion,  and  agony, 
without  a  struggle.  Nailed  to  the  ignominious  tree,  his 
last  breath  was  sublime  mercy  ! 

To  whom  shall  we  liken  him  ?  What  philosopher 
has  equalled  the  sublimity  of  his  maxims,  or  the  pro- 
fundity of  his  wisdom?  What  moralist  has  laid  so 
deep  the  foundations  of  virtue,  or  reared  so  high  the 
standard  of  morals  ?  What  legislator  has  spoken  to 
every  heart,  in  a  single  line,  adapted  to  every  class  and 
every  clime  ? 

Compared  with  Jesus,  are  not  the  Zenos  of  antiquity 
impure  and  debased  ?  were  not  their  priests  licentious 
and  tyrannical,  and  their  philanthropists  selfish  and  con- 
tracted? Yea,  in  comparison  with  Jesus,  we  may  not 
except  even  Moses  ;  much  less  Zoroaster  or  Pythagoras. 

Whose  religion  is  so  spiritual  in  its  nature  —  so  intel- 
ligible and  reasonable  in  its  principles  —  so  benign  in 
its  tendency  ?  And  where  is  the  sage  who  could  so 
live  and  so  die,  without  weakness  and  without  ostenta- 
tion ?     "  Truly  this  was  the  Son  of  God  !" 

How  else  can  we  account  for  his  character  ?  Is  it 
not  inexplicable  by  any  principle  of  human  nature  ?  As 
an  effect,  it  must  have  had  some  adequate  cause ;  and 
where  shall  we  find  such  a  cause  but  in  an  agency  su- 
perior to  man's  ? 


286  THE    SON    OF    GOD. 

There  have  been  those  whom  the  world  with  one 
accord  has  denominated  good,  and  through  all  coming 
ages  will  eulogize  as  great;  but  if  they  cannot  stand  in 
comparison  with  Jesus,  could  he  have  been  an  insane 
enthusiast,  an  ambitious  sectary,  or  an  arrant  impostor? 
It  is  impossible  for  human  nature  in  its  present  lapsed 
state  to  attain  the  perfection  or  rival  the  example  which 
Christ  exhibited.  Could  he,  then,  have  been  no  more 
than  an  earth-born  man  ? 

To  say  that  this  character  never  had  an  embodied 
representation,  were  not  only  to  do  violence  to  all  the 
laws  of  testimony,  but  to  involve  us  in  the  greater  diffi- 
culty of  attempting  to  account  for  its  imaginary  exist- 
ence. How  came  these  fishermen  of  Galilee  to  deline- 
ate such  a  character,  if  Jesus  Christ  never  lived  ? 
Whence  did  they  gather  suitable  material  for  a  mythi- 
cal representation  ?  where  obtain  their  model  ?  Hea- 
then antiquity,  amid  the  multitude  of  its  illustrious 
men  and  imperishable  records,  presented  none.  Hea- 
then philosophy,  notwithstanding  its  repeated  efforts 
to  paint  human  perfection,  failed  miserably ;  and  even 
now,  unless  clandestinely  availing  itself  of  the  light  of 
Revelation,  infidelity,  in  its  representations  of  wisdom 
and  virtue,  stamps  but  an  image  of  its  own  deformity. 
Nor  in  their  conceptions  could  the  evangelists  have  been 
aided  by  their  own  Scriptures  :  they  record  no  faultless 
character ;  and  even  the  combined  excellencies  of  all 
the  Old-Testament  worthies  could  not  afford  material 
for  the  fabrication  of  such  a  history  as  this  of  Christ. 

How  is  it  possible,  then,  that  in  an  age  of  moral  dark- 
ness, these  unlettered  men  should  have  invented  a  char- 


THE    SON   OF    GOD.  287 

acter  which  has  defied  the  scrutiny  of  malice ;  which 
constantly  unfolds  greater  excellence  and  beauty  in  pro- 
portion to  the  expansion  and  refinement  of  our  moral 
sentiments ;  which  cannot  be  surpassed  in  the  utmost 
reach  of  our  conceptions  !  Such  delicacy  of  moral  sen- 
timent as  they  must  have  had  who  drew  this  character, 
whether  it  be  real  or  not,  seems  not  very  consistent  with 
a  deliberate  attempt  to  palm  a  lie  on  mankind.  Impos- 
tors originate  the  idea  of  the  most  exalted  character 
that  ever  existed  upon  earth  ?  Tell  us,  ye  who  boast 
of  reason  and  of  common  sense,  which  lays  himself  the 
more  open  to  the  charge  of  credulity  —  the  Christian,  or 
the  infidel  ? 

On  the  supposition,  however,  that  this  perfect  char- 
acter had  been  represented  in  general  description,  or 
loose  and  indefinite  panegyric,  we  might  with  philosophic 
propriety  refer  its  origin  to  the  inspiration  of  genius  : 
but  that  four  persons,  though  respectively  writing  at  the 
interval  of  years,  should  retain  the  same  recollections, 
and  unite  in  the  same  views  of  this  character;  that  they 
should  exhibit  him  to  whom  it  is  ascribed  in  different 
relations,  amid  friends  and  foes,  in  public  and  in  pri- 
vate-^ amid  alternate  scenes  of  quiet  and  trial  —  in  con- 
versation by  turns  with  the  rich  and  the  poor,  the  high 
and  the  low,  and  on  as  great  a  diversity  of  subjects ; 
yet,  that  they  should  be  guilty  of  no  inconsistency,  no 
appearance  of  effort,  of  concealment,  or  of  exaggeration 
—  presenting  a  plain,  frank,  unartistic  narrative,  and 
preserving  through  all  its  varied  scenes  this  same  Jesus 
acting  on  the  same  principles,  with  reference  to  the  same 
ends,  at  all  times,  in  every  situation,  from  the  beginning 


288  THE    SON    OF    GOD. 

to  the  aid  of  his  ministry  ;  in  short,  that  four  persons  — 
no  matter  what  their  motive  —  unless  they  were  penetra- 
ted by  the  conviction  of  having  seen  the  Lord, —  sliould 
have  coUusively  united  to  frame  such  a  narrative  as  this, 
is  more  incredible,  a  thousand  times  more  inconceivable, 
than  that  Christ  Jiimsclf  should  have  furnished  the  sub- 
ject of  it.  In  fact,  the  evangelical  narratives,  in  their 
various  and  distinct  yet  harmonious  features,  bear  marks 
of  genuineness  and  authenticity  so  striking  and  inimitable, 
that,  if  fictitious,  the  inventor,  as  even  Rousseau  admitted, 
"  would  be  a  more  astonishing  character  than  the  hero." 

Should  we  now  institute  an  inquisition  respecting  the 
motives  of  the  evangelists,  it  would  be  impossible  to 
detect  any  that  could  have  led  them  to  fabricate  such  a 
record  as  that  with  which  they  have  furnished  us.  To 
suppose  that  it  might  have  been  fictitious,  is  only  to 
subject  ourselves  to  the  impracticable  task  of  accounting 
for  the  fact  of  its  having  been  received  as  true,  when 
there  was  every  facility  for  the  detection  of  a  fraud,  and 
the  strongest  possible  motives  for  exposing  any  duplicity. 
The  simple  ordinances  of  baptism  and  the  Lord's  sup- 
per are  confirmation  strong  —  imperishable  monuments 
—  of  both  the  fact  and  the  design  of  Christ's  adt^ent. 

His  character,  therefore,  constitutes  an  argument  of 
resistless  force  in  favor  of  our  holy  religion  ;  or,  to  say 
the  least,  one  of  equal  weight  with  physical  evidence. 
Let  Hume  vaunt  himself  on  his  philosophic  acumen,  and 
Gibbon  declaim  on  the  efliciency  of  second  causes;  — 
though  it  were  possible  to  set  aside  the  argument  from 
miracles,  by  opposing  experience  to  testimony  ;  and 
that  from  the  prophecies,  by  impeaching  their  dates, 


THE    SO.V    OF    GOD.  289 

or  resolving  them  into  shrewd  conjectures  —  still,  the 
character  of  Jesus  will  furnish  a  position  which  no  in- 
genuity can  undermine,  no  reasoning  invalidate,  no 
prejudice  mistake.  It  stamps  on  Christianity  the  re- 
splendent signet  of  Divinity.  It  re-echoes  in  Reason's 
ear  the  very  voice  that  broke  through  the  overshadowing 
cloud  on  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration  — "  This  is  my 
beloved  Son  :  hear  him  /" 

We  are  aware  of  the  tendency  of  certain  schools  of 
philosophy  to  deify  humanity  :  but  he  who  can  contem- 
plate the  loveliness  of  Christ's  spotless  virtue  ;  dwell 
on  his  weighty  sayings,  or  listen  to  his  tones  of  mingled 
softness  and  majesty  ;  see  the  dead  man  come  forth  from 
the  grave  at  his  bidding,  or  hear  him  by  a  word  hush 
the  winds  and  waves  into  silence ;  hear  him,  too,  pro- 
claim forgiveness  of  sin,  and  testify  his  right  by  com- 
manding the  palsied  sick  to  take  up  their  bed  and  walk  : 
who  can  witness  his  sympathy  for  the  afflicted,  and  his 
own  unruffled  calmness  amid  insults  and  injuries  ;  fol- 
low him  through  the  closing  scenes  of  his  sufferings, 
and  behold  his  meek  submission,  his  magnanimity,  his 
good-will  to  his  enemies  ;  stand  b}^,  while,  in  accom- 
plishment of  his  own  prediction,  he  bursts  the  bands  of 
death  —  and  hear  him,  as  he  ascends  from  earth  to  the 
glory  which  he  had  with  the  Fadier  before  the  world 
was,  challenging  to  himself  the  attributes  of  final  Judge, 
and  the  sceptre  of  unlimited  rule  :  he  who  can  see  and 
hear  all  this,  yet  discover  in  him  no  glimpse  of  Incar- 
nate Deity  —  nothing  above  the  utmost  capabilities  of 
man's  natr.re  —  mu^t  indeed  be  hopelessly  prejudiced  or 
Viilfully  .-i:'p- !•••].      Th.^  I'tiys  of  the  sun   miij,ht  pierce 

or, 


290  THE    SON    OF    GOD. 

the  blind  man's  lids,  but  the  blindness  of  such  a  mind 
is  incurable. 

We  are  aware,  too,  of  the  proneness  of  fanatics  to 
magnify  their  object  and  exaggerate  its  importance,  until 
their  leader,  dismissing  the  humility  of  a  follower  of 
Christ,  complacently  regards  himself,  as  he  is  called,  the 
Jesus  Christ  of  the  age  !  But  if  we  are  shocked  at  the 
impiety  of  all  such  pretensions,  we  can  hardly  be  less 
amazed  at  the  ignorance  which  the  pretenders  themselves 
betray.  To  deny  the  historic  reality  of  such  a  person 
as  Jesus  of  Nazareth  ;  to  regard  his  mission  as  simply 
the  natural  development  of  a  great  idea ;  or  to  resolve 
his  teachings  and  doings  into  a  series  of  myths  —  does, 
indeed,  show  how  easily  philosophy,  falsely  so  called, 
may  unhinge  the  mind,  as  infidelity  always  corrupts  and 
petrifies  the  heart :  but  to  arrogate  to  one's  self  the 
character  and  mission  of  Christ,  only  proves  that  fanati- 
cism may  craze  the  brain  as  well  as  sear  the  conscience. 
Astounding  presumption  !   reckless,  incorrigible  folly  ! 

Look  at  the  Author  and  Finisher  of  our  faith  !  Infi- 
delity may  vent  its  foul  aspersions,  or  brood  in  secret 
over  its  dark  thoughts  ;  but,  though  Argus-eyed  in  its 
malignity,  it  can  discover  not  even  a  defect,  much  less 
a  fault,  in  his  character.  Embodying  the  greatest  moral 
strength  with  the  most  uniform  and  consistent  virtue,  a 
more  perfect  model  defies  conception.  His  meekness, 
his  purity,  his  benevolence  —  his  firmness  and  strength 
of  purpose  —  and  at  the  same  time  the  lofty  and  "be- 
fore untrodden  range  of  his  intellect" — present  him  to 
us  as  the  Great  and  Good  without  a  parallel  among 
mortals. 


THE    SON    OF    GOD.  291 

Yet  in  one  sense  we  may  see  even  Christ  himself  in 
the  present :  for  whatever  is  good  in  the  present  is  strictly- 
referable  to  the  light  of  his  teaching,  to  the  peculiar  ex- 
cellence of  his  example,  and  to  the  fervor  and  force  of 
his  disinterested  love ;  and  wherever  men  are  engaged 
in  doing  good  with  an  eye  single  to  God's  glory,  there 
he  is  present,  by  his  word  and  Spirit,  to  sustain,  and 
cheer,  and  prosper  the  work  of  their  hands  ;  and  when- 
ever two  or  three  meet  together  in  his  name,  there  is 
he  to  bless  them  with  his  life-giving,  peace-speaking 
presence  ;  and  whenever  and  wherever  his  ambassadors 
proclaim  his  messages  of  love  and  mercy  to  dying  men, 
he  is  with  them,  and  will  be  with  them  "  even  to  the 
end  of  the  world." 

They  who  consult  the  oracles  of  worldly  wisdom  may 
question  the  truth  of  the  evangelic  records,  or  regard 
Christ  as  no  more  than  a  prophet  sent  of  God,  or  even 
degrade  him  to  a  level  with  themselves  :  but  he  who  lis- 
tens to  the  responses  from  the  sacred  oracles,  will  be 
taught  to  acknowledge  and  adore  him  as  "the  bright- 
ness of  the  Father's  glory,  and  the  express  image  of  his 
person  ;"  for  it  is  written  that  "  all  men  should  honor 
the  Son  even  as  they  honor  the  Father."  He  will  even 
be  taught  to  welcome  and  rely  on  Christ  as  the  Lord 
his  righteousness,  as  well  as  his  sacrifice  for  sin  ;  since 
it  is  written  that  "  by  the  deeds  of  the  law  there  shall  no 
flesh  be  justified  in  God's  sight."  Nor  will  his  own  renun- 
ciation of  all  self-righteousness  at  the  foot  of  the  cross 
render  him  less  desirous  of  "cleansing  himself  from  all 
filthiness  of  the  flesh  and  spirit,"  or  less  zealous  "  in 
every  good  word  and  work."     No ;  the  answer  to  all 


292  THE    SON    OF    GOD. 

our  inquiries  at  the  oracles  of  God  respecting  Christian 
character  and  hope  is  one  and  the  same  :  "  If  any  man 
liave  not  the  Spirit  of  Ciirist,  he  is  none  of  his." 

Oh  !  it  Is  not  that  all  evidences  of  a  Divine  mission,  and 
of  a  glorious  salvation  from  the  guilt  and  power  of  sin, 
do  not  cluster  around  the  person  of  Christ  Jesus,  that 
so  many  reject  his  claims  :*  it  is  rather  that  so  few  who 
profess  to  regard  hiin  as  the  Son  of  God,  breathe  his 
spirit,  and  imitate  his  example. 

*  Different  writers  have  aflverted  to  Ciirist's  character  as  conclusive 
proof  of  the  truth  of  his  mission  ;  but  none  have  presented  the  argument 
in  a  clearer  light  than  a  late  Unitarian  divine,  to  whose  "Discourse"  the 
author  is  indebted  for  some  important  suggestions.  The  wonder  is,  tliat 
he  had  not  perceived  tiie  conclusion  to  which  iiis  own  reasoning-  tends. 
"As  an  effect,"  he  says,  "it  must  have  had  an  adequate  cause;"  and 
simply  "  to  refer  the  character  of  Jesus  to  a  mission  from  the  Father," 
is  not  an  adequate  cause.  This  were  sufficient  to  account  for  the  char- 
acter of  a  Moses,  or  a  Paul ;  but  not  for  one  who  en}hodied  in  himself 
the  perfections  of  Deity.  On  the  supposilion  that  a  Divine  being  had 
assumed  our  nature,  it  is  impossible  to  conceive  in  what  respect  he 
could  have  transcended  in  excellence  Christ  himself.  If  "his  character 
can  be  explained  by  nothing  around  him,"  it  becomes  a  question  whether 
the  principle  of  his  existence  was  physically  derived  from  Adam.  The 
evangelists  distinctly  intimate  that  the  principle  of  personality  and  indi- 
vidual existence,  in  the  Son  of  the  Virgin,  v.-as  union  with  the  uncre- 
ated Word;  and  therefore  we  do  injustice  to  his  history,  if,  in  attempting 
to  account  for  "  his  singular  eminence  of  goodness,"  we  overlook  the 
fact  of  his  miraculous  conception;  while  (his  fact  evidently  implies 
some  higher  purpose  than  simply  a  mission  from  the  Father  to  instruct 
men,  as  it  necessarily  involves  the  idea  of  two  entire,  distinct  natures 
in  one  person.  The  evangelists,  in  their  narratives,  were  cor.sistent 
with  their  own  view  of  Christ  —  as  "  Emma'.iuel"  —  God  with  iis  ,•  but 
an  Unitarian  in  deducing  the  truth  of  Christianity  from  the  character 
of  its  Founder,  must  needs  be  inconsistent  with  his  own  theory  as  to 
the  nature  of  Christ.  (See  "Discourses,"  &c.,  by  W.  E.  Channing; 
page  349.) 


THE    INFIDEL    JEWS.  293 


THE  INFIDEL  JEWS. 

Among  the  innumerable  evidences  of  Christ's  mis- 
sion, the  fact  that  he  was  rejected  only  by  those  who 
were  false  to  Moses,  furnishes  one  which,  though  not  at 
once  obvious,  is,  on  reflection,  not  the  less  conclusive. 
An  impostor  may  be  a  dogmatist,  but  no  impostor  ever 
invited  scrutiny  or  challenged  skepticism  ;  much  less 
would  an  impostor  have  ventured  to  refer  a  whole  peo- 
ple to  the  archives  of  their  nation  in  attestation  of  his 
claims  —  fearlessly  appealing  to  the  actual  founder  of 
their  religion  in  final  confirmation  of  the  divinity  of  his 
own  mission. 

An  impostor  might  have  availed  himself  of  that  gen- 
eral expectation  which  pervaded  the  Jewish  mind,  of  a 
coming  Messiah ;  and,  though  he  might  have  deceived 
some  by  flattering  their  prejudices  and  ministering  to 
their  passions,  he  must  have  failed  in  any  attempt  to 
make  his  character  and  actions  answer  to  prophetic  de- 
scription, or  accord  with  the  Mosaic  writings.  Hence, 
all  false  Christs  —  for  such  did  appear  —  were  detected 
and  exposed  ;  but  the  more  the  claims  of  Jesus  Christ 
were  investigated,  the  strons-er  became  the  conviction 
that  he  was  the  Messiah  who  should  come. 

To  whom  could  the  original  promise  of  a  Saviour 
have   referred,   if  not   to    him  who,  though   born    of  a 

25* 


294  THE    INFIDEL    JEWS. 

woman,  was  "  the  brightness  of  the  Father's  glory,  and 
the  express  image  of  his  person  ?"  To  whom  could  all 
the  sacrifices  of  the  Mosaic  dispensation  have  pointed, 
if  not  to  him  who  should  "  take  away  sin  by  the  sacri- 
fice of  himself?"  In  whom  could  the  prophecies  have 
met  their  fulfilment,  if  not  in  him  who  "  came  unto  his 
own,  and  whom  his  own  received  not"  —  and  who  "  was 
led  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter  ?"  Who  could  have 
been  "the  end  of  the  law  for  righteousness,"  if  not  he 
who  "  was  made  under  the  law,  yet  without  sin"  —  who 
fulfilled  the  violated  law,  and  made  it  honorable?  And 
who  could  have  furnished  such  an  illustrious  antitype 
of  the  Jewish  legislator,  as  he  who,  like  Moses,  was 
miraculously  preserved  in  his  infancy  ;  who  fasted  forty 
days  in  the  wilderness,  as  Moses  did  on  the  Mount ; 
who  in  an  especial  manner  enjoyed  intercourse  with 
his  heavenly  Father,  as  Moses  conversed  with  God  face 
to  face ;  who  appeared  as  a  mediator  between  God  and 
man,  as  Moses  stood  in  the  gap ;  and  who,  even  as  the 
lawgiver  and  liberator  of  the  Israehtes,  appeared  with 
supreme  power  to  save  his  people  from  their  sins,  to 
liberate  them  from  the  bondage  of  Satan,  to  open  to 
them  a  way  through  the  grave,  and  conduct  them  safe 
to  the  heavenly  Canaan? 

By  consulting  the  eighteenth  chapter  of  Deuteronomy, 
where  the  prophecy  is  recorded,  the  reader  may  perceive 
that  Moses  distinctly  referred  to  a  great  prophet  who 
was  destined  to  succeed  him,  and  whose  office  it  would 
be  to  establish  a  more  spiritual  religion  ;  that  he  de- 
scribes him  as  a  lawgiver  who  should  promulge  a  new 
law ;  that  he  furnished  the  Jews  with  a  test  by  which 


THE    INFIDEL    JEWS.  295 

they  might  distinguish  the  Messiah  from  a  false  prophet ; 
that  none  of  the  prophets  ever  pretended  to  such  a  com- 
mission as  Moses  prophetically  ascribed  to  Christ ;  and 
that,  if  Christ  be  not  the  person  to  whom  Moses  referred, 
the  Messiah  has  not  yet  come. 

But  if  Moses  did  foretell  the  coming  of  the  Messiah 
—  one  who  was  to  dissolve  the  ancient  Levitical  cove- 
nant, and  usher  in  a  new  and  spiritual  dispensation ; 
and  if,  in  every  respect,  Jesus  Christ  answered  to  his 
prophetic  description,  as  well  as  to  the  descriptions  of 
other  prophets  sent  of  God  ;  if  the  evidences  of  his 
Messiahship  were  so  palpable,  even  in  his  birth  and 
boyhood,  that  the  aged  Simeon  could  exclaim,  "  Now, 
Lord,  lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart  in  peace,  for  mine 
eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation"  —  why  did  so  many,  who 
called  themselves  Israelites,  not  believe  on  him  ?  Why 
did  they  hold  out  to  the  last,  not  only  against  the  proofs 
furnished  by  the  Old-Testament  writers,  but  against  the 
more  obtrusive  evidence  furnished  by  his  own  word 
and  works  ? 

Shall  we  say  that,  though  they  knew  Moses  referred  to 
a  coming  Messiah,  prejudice  blinded  their  eyes  against 
Christ?  This  is  not  improbable.  There  was  nothing 
in  Christ's  external  appearance  to  prepossess  them  in 
favor  of  his  Messiahship,  while  there  was  much  in  his 
discourses  to  call  forth  their  dislike.  It  was  natural  for 
them,  therefore,  to  prejudge  and  condemn,  just  as  in 
after-times  his  gospel  was  not  unfrequently  rejected, 
from  sentiments  of  aversion  and  contempt,  prior  to 
examination. 

Neither  is  it  improbable,  in  the  event  of  their  having 


296  THE    INFIDEL    JEWS. 

been  convinced,  from  a  comparison  of  the  prophetic 
writings  with  the  character  of  Christ's  mission,  or  from 
hearing  his  teachings  and  witnessing  his  works,  that  the 
pride  of  their  hearts  might  have  led  them  to  stand  out 
against  his  claims.  Instead  of  one  who,  according  to 
their  expectations,  was  to  appear  in  regal  pomp,  Jesus 
was  a  meek  and  lowly  man.  Instead  of  one  whom  they 
fondly  dreamed  would  lead  them  on  to  victory  and  to 
national  greatness,  Jesus  was  a  peacemaker  —  opposing 
all  their  cherished  hopes,  and  mortifying  all  their  lofty 
aspirations ;  a  man  also  who,  instead  of  courting  the 
society  of  the  rich  and  the  powerful,  and  deferring  to 
the  sentiments  of  the  Rabbis,  rebuked  the  vices  of  the 
former,  and  exposed  the  hypocrisy  of  the  latter,  while 
he  himself  associated  with  publicans  and  sinners  ;  a  man 
without  any  worldly  advantages,  whether  of  riches,  rank, 
or  education  ;  whose  parentage  they  knew  to  be  obscure, 
and  whose  birthplace  was  a  despised  city.  '  iSurely,  he 
cannot  be  the  Messiah  —  we  will  not  believe  it;'  and 
the  opinion,  once  expressed,  might  have  remained, 
whatever  their  subsequent  convictions  to  the  contrary. 

It  is  in  no  other  way  that  we  can  account  for  the  infi- 
delity of  some  at  the  present  day.  Their  objections 
have  been  answered,  and  they  are  unable  to  meet  the 
arguments  with  which  Christianity  urges  its  claims. 
Whence,  then,  their  unbelief,  unless  it  arises  from  the 
obstinacy  of  their  wills  —  their  proud  reluctance  to  sub- 
mit to  the  humiliating  requisitions  of  the  gospel?  —  Po 
have  I  seen  a  man  refusing  to  admit  the  truth  of  a  doc- 
trine, not  because  he  could  fairly  answer  the  argument 
in  its  favor,  but  because  it  clashed  with  the  pride  of 


THE    INFIDEL    JEWS.  297 

opinion,  or  interfered  with  some  selfish  interest.  It  is 
thus  that  the  Romanist  refuses  to  admit  the  sufficiency 
of  Scripture  ;  that  the  imitator  of  Romanists  continues  to 
reiterate  his  untenable  positions  ;  that  the  Socinian  de- 
nies the  divinity  of  Christ,  and  the  Universalist  the 
future  punishment  of  the  wicked.  Of  what  avail  any 
arguments  in  favor  of  the  truth,  when  pride  is  doing 
battle  for  self,  or  the  lusts  of  the  flesh  beclouding  the 
judgment?  As  well  expect  liberality  in  a  miser,  or 
honesty  in  a  knave,  as  an  acknowledgment  of  error 
from  one  whose  selfishness  is  arrayed  against  the 
truth.  This  is  a  well-known  feature  of  human  nature, 
and  may  serve  to  explain  the  persistive  unbelief  of  the 
Jews. 

But  this  is  not  the  reason  which  Christ  assigns  :  "  Had 
ye  believed  Moses,  ye  would  have  believed  me."  What, 
when  they  called  themselves  his  followers,  and  even  re- 
jected Christ  for  the  sake  of  Moses,  did  they  neverthe- 
less not  believe  in  him?  This  is  a  serious  charge,  and, 
unless  it  be  established,  there  is  no  force  in  our  Saviour's 
conclusion.  True,  Jesus  Christ  knew  what  is  in  man  ; 
and  this  should  satisfy  us  as  to  the  Jews'  infidelity  in 
Moses  :  but  the  observant  mind  may  always  gather,  from 
among  the  various  incidents  of  our  Saviour's  life,  some 
conclusive  though  undesigned  evidence  of  his  actual 
power  to  read  the  heart.  Thus,  it  appears  that  he  knew 
the  character  of  the  woman  whom  he  met  at  the  well  of 
Jacob  ;  he  knew  the  design  of  the  woman  who  touched 
the  hem  of  his  garment ;  he  knew  that  Peter  would 
deny,  and  that  Judas  would  betray  him  :  and,  in  like 
manner,  may  we   ascertain,  from   a  variety  of  circum- 


298  THE    INFIDEL    JEWS. 

Stances,   that  he  was   not  mistaken   in  his  conclusion 
respecting  those  who  rejected  his  Messiahship. 

At  the  time  of  our  Saviour's  advent,  there  were  three 
prominent  sects  among  the  Jews — the  Sadducees,  the 
Pharisees,  and  the  Essenes  —  each  of  which  had  their 
respective  leaders,  and  between  which  there  existed,  on 
some  points,  the  greatest  contrariety  of  opinion.  All, 
however,  professed  to  regard  the  Mosaic  institutes  with 
reverence ;  yet  alike  made  void  the  law  through  their 
traditions,  "  teaching  for  doctrines  the  commandments 
of  men."  Among  the  Athenians,  too,  there  were  difier- 
ent  schools  of  philosophy  ;  and,  though  each  observed 
an  ostensible  deference  to  the  popular  mythology,  we 
know  that  the  sentiments  which  they  advanced  were 
ofttimes  incompatible  with  belief  in  the  pagan  oracles, 
and  tended  to  unsettle  the  popular  faith.  There  is,  in- 
deed, no  parallel  between  the  pagan  and  Jewish  oracles  ; 
but  this  skepticism  of  the  heathen  philosophers  serves 
to  illustrate  a  fact  in  the  history  of  human  nature — that 
whenever  men  become  associated  for  the  purpose  of 
speculating  on  moral  and  religious  subjects,  though  they 
may  have  previously  acknowledged  some  creed,  a  pref- 
erence is  insensibly  given  to  their  own  excogitations  and 
deductions  :  their  own  views  become  distinctive,  and  at 
last  the  founder  of  their  school  or  sect  is  looked  up  to  with 
reverence,  deferred  to  with  willing  submissiveness,  and 
adhered  to  with  arrant  bigotry.  It  is  the  tendency  of 
human  nature,  as  time  modifies  our  mental  associations, 
and  changing  circumstances  induce  a  diversity  of  selfish 
interests,  either  to  separate  into  different  and  conflicting 
parties,   or  to  depart  from  original  principles.      What 


THE    INFIDEL    JEWS.  299 

government  has  not  in  some  respects  changed  from  its 
original  form  ?  What  institution  has  not,  at  some  period 
of  its  history,  deviated  from  the  intentions  of  its  found- 
ers ?  Thus  it  happened  that  the  church  of  Rome  be- 
came false  to  the  form  and  doctrine  of  primitive  Chris- 
tianity, and  that  the  church  of  England  has  departed 
from  the  Calvinistic  sentiments  of  her  reformers.  Is  it 
not  a  fact,  that,  in  the  estimation  of  a  papist,  the  church 
is  paramount  in  authority  to  the  Bible  ;  that  the  patristic 
writings  have  more  weight  with  an  ecclesiastic  than  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles,  or  the  epistles  of  St.  Paul ;  that 
Revelation  is  of  no  account  with  many  compared  with 
the  atfthority  of  Ignatius,  the  visions  of  Swedenborg,  or 
the  rationalism  of  Socinus? 

It  is  far  from  improbable,  then,  that  there  were  among 
the  Jews  not  a  few  who  cared  not  for  Moses  any  further 
than  his  institutes  could  be  made  to  subserve  the  inter- 
ests of  their  own  sect — who,  in  his  name,  and  under 
the  garb  of  his  authority,  advanced  their  own  notions 
and  furthered  their  own  ends.  While  contending  for 
their  own  traditions,  and  while  enforcing  their  own  dog- 
mas, they  might,  like  some  of  our  modern  traditionists, 
have  denounced  all  who  dissented  from  them  as  infidels  ; 
have  devoutly  thought  that  they  were  doing  God  service  ; 
and,  while  all  for  themselves,  that  they  were  all  for  Moses  ! 

Certain  it  is,  they  did  not  obey  the  law  of  Moses : 
"  They  paid  tithe  of  mint,  anise,  and  cumin,  but  neg- 
lected the  weightier  matters  of  the  law."  Though,  in 
some  instances,  guilty  of  all  ungodliness  and  unrigh- 
teousness, they  contrived  by  their  ostentatious  ablutions, 
fastings,  almsgivino;.  and  prayers,  to  impress  the  general 


300  THE    INFIDEL    JEWS. 

mind  with  an  idea  of  their  superior  sanctity  :  just  as  the 
monks  contrived  to  be  regarded  by  the  people  as  para- 
gons of  virtue  and  saints  in  devotion,  while  in  their 
retirement  from  public  view  they  wrought  all  unclean- 
ness  with  greediness  :  or  such  men  as  Tetzel  and  Eck, 
who  were  loud  in  their  denunciations  of  infidels,  and  un- 
relenting in  their  persecution  of  heretics,  and  yet  among 
the  foremost  in  every  deed  of  darkness  —  not  hesitating 
even  to  burn  the  word  of  God  !  Such,  indeed,  is  the 
case  with  every  man  who  puts  on  religion  as  a  cloak  for 
either  his  ambitious  or  covetous  designs.  When  virtue 
degenerates  into  asceticism,  and  religion  becomes  sanc- 
timonious, and  zeal  is  expended  in  behalf  of  rites  and 
forms  rather  than  against  sin  and  Satan,  we  are  not 
unjust  in  suspecting  some  sinister  departure  from  the 
doctrine  which  is  according  to  godliness  :  we  may  con- 
clude that  some  inclination  is  gratified,  instead  of  duty 
followed  ;  that  some  "  law  of  the  members"  is  exalted 
above  the  law  of  God  ;  and  that  the  truth,  if  held  at  all, 
is  "  held  in  unrighteousness."  Hence,  our  Saviour  said 
to  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  notwithstanding  the  esti- 
mation in  which  they  were  held  by  the  people  on  ac- 
count of  their  seeming  holiness  —  "  I  know  you,  that  ye 
have  not  the  love  of  God  in  you." — -"Ye  hypocrites! 
first  make  clean  the  inside  of  the  platter."  —  "Ye  are 
of  your  father  the  devil,  and  the  works  of  your  father 
ye  do." 

It  is  clear,  however,  from  many  incidental  allusions 
in  the  gospels,  that  they  made  long  prayers  to  be  seen 
of  men,  and  loved  the  greetings  in  the  market-place  — 
especially  to  be  called  "  Rabbi  ;"  that  they  quoted  and 


THE    INFIDEL    JEWS.  301 

perverted  the  law  to  corroborate  their  own  private  opin- 
ions, and  used  the  name  of  Moses  at  once  to  cover 
and  effect  their  selfish  purposes.  No  ene  doubts  the 
infidelity  of  Judas,  because  it  is  known  that  he  deliber- 
ately betrayed  Christ  for  lucre  ;  nor  can  we  doubt  the 
infidelity  of  any  one  who  professes  Christianity,  or  con- 
nects himself  with  the  church,  in  order  to  secure  some 
worldly  advantages.  Instances  of  the  kind  are  not  want- 
ing in  our  day  ;  and  if  so,  might  not  Moses  have  been 
repeatedly  acknowledged  among  the  Jews  from  similar 
motives  ?  The  presumption  becomes  certainty  when 
we  consider  that  theirs  was  a  national  religion,  preclu- 
ding any  one's  political  advancement  who  did  not  ac- 
knowledge Moses,  and  securing  to  any  one  greater 
influence  from  whatever  appearance  of  sanctity  he  was 
able  to  present. 

If,  then,  there  can  be  no  belief  in  a  religious  teacher 
unless  his  authority  be  respected,  his  laws  observed, 
and  his  interests  consulted,  it  is  certain  that  they  who 
rejected  Christ  did  not  believe  Moses.  But  if  they  had 
believed  Moses,  they  would  have  believed  in  Christ. 
In  order  to  belief,  much  depends  on  the  previous  state 
of  the  mind — quite  as  much,  perhaps,  as  on  the  degree 
of  evidence  presented.  I  allude  not  now  to  the  domi- 
nant sway  of  prejudice  or  of  passion,  but  to  the  habit 
which  may  have  been  formed  of  reflecting  seriously,  and 
weighing  matters  candidly,  together  with  the  disposition 
to  confirm  or  to  correct  one's  views  —  to  be  delivered 
from  error,  or  to  ascertain  the  truth.  He  who  takes  an 
interest  in  a  case  at  law,  will  be  more  likely  to  perceive 
the  soundness  or  to  detect  the  fallacy  of  the  arguments 

26 


302  THE    INFIDEL    JEWS. 

advanced.  He  who  is  conscious  of  the  insufficiency  of 
his  attainments,  will  be  more  likely  to  enlarge  his  intel- 
lectual bounds  than  he  who  complacently  thinks  that 
there  is  no  light  beyond  the  limits  of  his  own  Gotham. 
Might  it  not,  then,  have  been  the  case  with  these  Jews, 
that  they  were  not  in  a  state  of  mind  for  investigating 
the  claims  of  the  Messiah  —  some  of  them  not  having 
been  accustomed  to  thought ;  others  being  indifferent ; 
and  others,  again,  wrapped  up  in  the  notions  of  their 
own  sect? 

Hence  the  difference  in  men  as  to  their  appreciation 
of  the  Christian  evidences.  He  who  ever  sits  down  to 
ponder  the  mystery  of  his  being — who  earnestly  desires 
to  know  whence  he  is,  and  whither  he  is  going  —  or  who 
realizes  the  inconclusiveness  of  reason's  deductions,  and 
the  insufficiency  of  all  earthly  things  to  promote  his 
happiness  —  is  the  most  likely,  and  always  the  first,  to 
be  convinced  by  the  evidences  of  Revelation  :  his  felt 
wants  anticipate  the  necessity  of  elaborate  documentary 
proof.  The  same  preparation  of  mind  for  the  reception 
of  the  truth,  may  be  illustrated  by  a  reference  to  some  at 
the  period  of  the  Reformation.  Dissatisfied  with  the 
condition  of  the  church,  most  seriously  disposed,  and 
longing  for  a  more  excellent  way,  such  minds  were 
among  the  foremost  to  hail  the  teachings  of  the  reform- 
ers ;  and,  the  more  they  studied  the  Scriptures,  the 
stronger  became  their  conviction  that  the  reformers  were 
sent  of  God. 

In  like  manner,  had  the  rejecters  of  Christ  seriously 
believed  in  Moses,  they  would  have  understood  the 
nature  of  his  economy  ;  looked  through  the  sacrifices  to 


THE    INPIDEL    JEWS.  303 

Him  whom  they  prefigured,  and  perceived  the  applica- 
tion of  its  prophecies  to  him  whom  they  saw  before 
them.  At  least,  by  studying  his  writings  and  imbibing 
their  spirit,  they  would  have  been  prepared  to  respond 
to  the  glorious  annunciation  :  "  Unto  us  a  child  is  born, 
unto  us  a  son  is  given  :  and  the  government  shall  be 
upon  his  shoulder  :  and  his  name  shall  be  called  Won- 
derful, Counsellor,  The  mighty  God,  The  everlasting 
Father,  The  Prince  of  Peace." 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  Abel,  who  by  faith 
offered  up  a  more  acceptable  sacrifice  than  Cain  ;  or 
that  David,  who  so  often  tuned  his  harp  in  praise  of  the 
Messiah  ;  or  that  Isaiah,  who  prophetically  described 
his  person  and  all  the  circumstances  of  his  life  and 
death  with  the  accuracy  of  an  eye-witness  —  would 
have  rejected  Christ,  had  they  lived  to  see  him  in  the 
flesh.  No ;  and,  as  holy  men  of  old  "  inquired  and 
searched  diligently,"  so  were  there  many  at  the  period 
of  tlie  advent  most  earnestly  looking  for  Him  "  of  whom 
the  prophets  wrote"  —  even  for  "him  who  should  re- 
deem Israel." 

With  what  thrilling  emotions  did  they  hear  the  voice 
of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness  —  "  Prepare  ye  the  way 
of  the  Lord;  make  his  paths  straight!"  And  when 
Jesus  came,  how  did  they  rejoice  with  exceeding  great 
joy  ;  and  with  what  cordiality  did  they  embrace  him  — 
beholding  then  the  desire  of  their  eyes !  As  the  star 
guided  the  wise  men  to  Bethlehem,  so  did  their  "  hope 
in  the  promise  which  God  had  made  unto  their  fathers," 
guide  them  to  Him  who  had  come  to  fulfil  the  law 
and  the  prophets:   and  thus  would  it  have  been  with 


304  THE    INFIDEL    JEWS. 

those  who  rejected  Christ,  had  they  only  believed 
Moses. 

If  they  had  believed  Moses,  and,  by  consequence, 
"  done  justly,  loved  mercy,  and  walked  humbly  with 
God,"  so  far  from  rejecting,  they  would  have  been  pre- 
disposed to  admit  the  claims  of  one  whose  life  was  a 
living  exemplification  of  the  principles  of  the  law,  and 
whose  ethical  teachings  so  beautifully  developed  its 
meaning  and  illustrated  its  spirit.  Not  to  them  would 
his  denunciation  of  injustice,  hypocrisy,  and  self-righ- 
teousness have  applied  —  suffusing  their  cheek  with 
shame,  or  kindling  their  eye  with  rage ;  while  every 
sentiment  that  fell  from  his  lips  would  have  met  a  re- 
sponse in  their  own  love  of  goodness  and  virtue  —  elicit- 
ing the  involuntary  exclamation,  "Never  man  spake 
like  this  man  !"  To  the  mind  of  a  virtuous  and  devout 
Jew,  the  sermon  on  the  Mount  must  have  been  invested 
with  a  resistless  charm  ;  and  he  who  uttered  it  —  all 
purity,  all  meekness,  and  all  love!  —  must  have  ap- 
peared to  be  no  less  than  a  prophet  sent  of  God.  It  is 
not  to  be  conceived  how  a  lover  of  truth  and  righteous- 
ness could  be  opposed  to  such  a  character  as  Jesus 
Christ.  To  suppose  it  possible,  were  to  admit  that  a 
man  of  inflexible  justice  could  condemn  Aristides  ;  that 
a  merciful  man  could  revile  Howard ;  or  that  a  patriot 
could  loathe  the  character  of  Washington. 

In  this  way,  we  account  for  the  belief  of  many  who 
saw  Christ  in  the  flesh.  Accustomed  to  refer  the  Mo- 
saic law  to  a  Divine  origin,  and  to  regulate  their  actions 
by  its  rules,  they  felt  that  he  whose  life  as  well  as  teach- 
ings magnified  the  law,  could   not  be  an  impostor ;  and 


THE    INFIDEL    JEWS.  305 

if  not  an  impostor,  then  indeed  he  was  the  "  light  of  the 
world,"  and  "the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the 
sin  of  the  world  !" 

It  was  owing  to  the  fact  that  Cornelius  was  a  devout 
man,  "  one  who  feared  God  with  all  his  house,"  that  he 
was  disposed  to  believe  in  Christ.  The  gospel  unfolded 
to  him  clearer  views  of  truth  and  duty ;  furnished  him 
with  stronger  motives ;  presented  to  him  a  perfect 
example ;  and  secured  to  him  a  perfect  righteousness. 
On  the  other  hand,  men  whose  deeds  are  evil,  love 
darkness  rather  than  light;  and  hence,  all  such  are  now 
disposed  to  skepticism,  and  the  most  forward  to  avail 
themselves  of  any  objections  to  the  word  of  God.  There 
is,  indeed,  an  intimate  sympathy  between  the  affections 
and  the  judgment — the  love  of  goodness  opening  the 
mind  to  truth  ;  the  love  of  vice  blinding  the  mind  to  all 
that  is  true,  and  embittering  the  heart  against  all  that  is 
fair.  Hence  our  Saviour,  at  one  time,  said  to  those 
who  rejected  him,  "Ye  will  not  come  unto  me  that  ye 
may  have  life  ;"  and  again,  "  If  any  man  will  do  my 
will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine  whether  it  be  of 
God." 

But  the  rejecters  of  Christ  could  not  have  believed  in 
Moses  without  relying  on  the  evidence  which  was  fur- 
nished of  his  inspiration,  his  prophecies,  and  his  mira- 
cles ;  and  there  was  one  who  presented  in  his  discourses 
evidence  of  the  same  kind,  if  not  higher,  that  he  was  in- 
spired with  Divine  wisdom  ;  in  his  predictions,  that  he 
was  endowed  with  prescience  ;  and  in  his  works,  that 
the  mighty  hand  of  God  was  with  him  :  nay,  who  with 
an  anthoritv  superior  to  that  of  any  preceding  prophet 

:.G* 


30G  THE    INFIDEL    JEWS. 

sent  of  God,  spoke  in  his  own  name,  and  by  his  singls 
word  caused  inanimate  nature  to  attest  the  truth  of  his 
doctrine.  It  was  on  this  ground  that  our  Saviour  said  to 
them  :  "  If  I  do  not  the  works  of  my  Father,  believe  me 
not ;  but  i{  I  do,  though  ye  believe  not  me,  believe  the 
works  —  the  works  that  I  do  in  my  Father's  name,  they 
bear  witness  of  me." 

Had  they  believed  in  Moses,  from  the  conviction  of 
those  Divine  evidences  with  which  his  mission  had  been 
accompanied — and  on  no  other  ground  could  they  have 
rationally  admitted  his  claims  —  surely  they  could  not 
have  consistently  rejected  the  claims  of  Christ  to  the 
Messiahship,  when  they  heard  him  speak  as  never  man 
had  spoken,  and  saw  him  do  what  no  man  had  ever 
done  before  ;  especially  when  they  could  not  have  been 
ignorant  that  the  Mosaic  writings  themselves  furnished 
ground  for  the  confident  expectation  which  then  perva- 
ded unnumbered  minds,  of  the  Messiah's  advent.  The 
more  closely  they  scrutinized  his  claims,  the  stronger 
would  have  been  their  conviction  —  "This  is  He  that 
should  come."  The  language  of  their  hearts  would 
have  been  even  as  that  which  burst  from  the  lips  of 
many  a  sincere  Jew  :  "  We  know  that  thou  art  a  teacher 
come  from  God  ;  for  no  man  can  do  these  miracles  which 
thou  doest,  except  God  be  with  him."  —  "We  believe 
and  are  sure  that  thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the 
living  God." 

In  short,  without  an  humble,  docile  heart,  they  could 
not  have  believed  in  Moses  ;  and,  with  such  a  heart, 
they  would  have  believed  in  Cluist.  But  they  rejected 
him  ;   and  this  proves  —  inasmuoli  as  their  rejection  of 


THE    INFIDEL    JEWS.  307 

Christ  was  the  consequence  of  their  not  really  believing 
Moses — that,  though  they  were  in  Israel,  they  were 
not  of  Israel.  And  this  conclusion  involves  a  truth 
which  it  behooves  us  to  ponder,  and  that  most  seriously 
—  a  truth  which  should  impel  every  one  to  look  into 
his  own  heart  with  jealous  scrutiny.  A  man  may  de- 
ceive himself  as  to  his  religion  —  profess  what  he  does 
not  believe !  Notwithstanding  all  their  apparent  zeal, 
though  it  might  have  maddened  them  to  have  their  sin- 
cerity questioned,  these  very  Jews  did  not  believe 
Moses ! 

But  is  not  human  nature  the  same  as  ever?  and  the 
heart  still  deceitful  above  all  things?  Are  there  not 
the  same  temptations  to  hypocrisy  and  unbelief,  and  the 
same  refuges  of  lies?  What  follows,  then,  but  that 
some  in  our  day  may  not  believe  in  Christ,  though  they  * 
profess  his  name  —  may  actually  deceive  themselves 
with  a  false  hope  ?  How  little  deference  is  there  to  the 
doctrine  which  is  according  to  godliness  ;  how  little 
conformity  to  the  precepts  of  the  gospel  ;  how  much 
formality  and  worldliness  even  in  the  church  ! 

Suppose  Moses  had  re-appeared  to  the  scribes  and 
Pharisees,  is  it  not  probable  to  the  last  degree  that  they 
would  have  rejected  his  teachings,  even  as  some  of  the 
ancient  Israelites  rose  up  against  him  in  the  wilderness? 
Does  it,  then,  admit  of  a  reasonable  doubt,  that,  if  Jesus 
Christ  were  to  appear  in  our  day,  and  to  lift  up  his  voice 
as  he  once  spoke  to  the  multitude  in  Judea,  that  some, 
even  among  those  who  call  themselves  Christians,  would 
gnash  on  him  with  their  teeth  —  exclaiming,  even  as 
some  of  the  Jews  of  old,  "Away  with  him,  away  with 


308  THE    INFIDEL    JEWS. 

him:  we  will  not  have  this  man  to  reign  over  us!"  — 
"The  temple  oftheLord,the  temple  of  the  Lord  are  we!" 

Is  this  an  unfounded  presumption  ?  How  happens 
it,  then,  that  the  gospel  has  in  many  instances  ceased  to 
be  the  rule  of  faith  ;  that  the  doctrines  of  the  cross  are 
so  often  an  offence  ;  that  the  sayings  of  Jesus  are  to 
many  hard  sayings  ;  that  the  cause  of  Christ  awakens 
no  interest  in  some  minds  ;  and  that,  among  others,  any 
efforts  to  advance  his  cause,  to  lead  men  to  Christ  that 
they  may  be  justified  by  a  faith  which  works  by  love, 
and  purifies  the  heart,  and  overcomes  the  world,  meets 
with  opposition  and  hate  ? 

"  He  that  is  not  with  me  is  against  me,"  said  Christ. 
"He  that  gathereth  not  with  me,  scattereth  abroad."  — 
"  If  any  man  will  be  my  disciple,  let  him  deny  himself." 
—  "  Ye  shall  know  them  by  their  fruits."  Hence  —  and 
it  follows  with  logical  certainty  —  he  who  is  governed 
by  the  maxims  of  the  world,  by  the  traditions  of  the 
fathers,  or  by  the  commandments  of  men,  has  no  sub- 
missive faith  in  the  word  of  God  ;  he  who  does  not 
observe  the  sayings  of  Christ  to  do  them,  has  no  love 
for  him  ;  he  who  is  devoted  to  "  the  world  with  its  affec- 
tions and  lusts" — to  fashion  and  to  forms  —  is  not  seek- 
ing "the  things  which  belong  to  Jesus  Christ."  Can 
there  be  faith,  if  his  word  be  nothing  to  us  whenever  it 
clashes  with  either  our  reason  or  our  traditions,  our 
prejudices  or  our  passions  ?  if  his  precepts  are  observed 
only  when  they  coincide  with  our  worldly  interests  ?  if 
his  religion  is  felt  to  be  a  burden,  except  so  far  as  it 
may  afford  an  opportunity  for  either  exalting  or  aggran- 
dizing ourselves? 


THE    INFIDEL,    JEWS.  309 

"  Be  not  deceived  ;  God  is  not  mocked  ;  for  whatso- 
ever a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap."  The  day 
is  not  far  distant  when  "  the  fire  shall  try  every  man's 
work  .of  what  sort  it  is  :"  and  if  so  be  that  any  who  pro- 
fess Christ  have  not  been  one  with  him  in  their  views, 
and  feelings,  and  actions  —  "I  never  knew  you,"  will 
be  the  sentence  of  the  Judge  ;  '  ye  had  your  reward  in 
the  gratification  of  your  own  passions.' 

Hence,  there  can  be  no  neutrality.  As,  on  the  last 
day,  we  shall  be  placed  either  on  the  right  hand  or  on 
the  left  of  the  Judge,  so  now  we  are  either  the  sincere 
friends  or  the  covert  enemies  of  Jesus  Christ  —  either 
justified  by  faith,  or  yet  in  our  sins,  and  in  danger  of 
*'  the  damnation  of  hell." 

How  appalling  the  thought  that  any  Christian  profes- 
sor may  be  infidel  at  heart — may  at  last  hear  those 
irrevocable  words  of  exclusion  and  reprobation  ! 

What  a  serious  matter  is  it,  then,  to  profess  Christ, 
with  such  a  heart  as  mine  —  so  prone  to  unbelief!  in 
such  a  world  as  this,  where  error  is  so  multiform  and 
insidious,  and  self  so  seldom  appealed  to  in  vain  ! 

Ah  me,  it  is  a  difficult  thing  to  be  a  Christian  !  What 
searching  of  heart  is  necessary  —  what  circumspection, 
what  humility,  what  self-denial !  Still,  let  me  not  shrink 
from  the  work  of  God  —  the  work  of  faith.  Let  the 
world  account  me  credulous  and  austere,  or  withhold 
from  me  all  that  it  has  to  give  :  but,  O  my  God,  suffer 
me  not  to  be  false  to  Christ ! 


310  THE    SIN    OF    THE    PHARISEES. 


THE  SIN  OF  THE  PHARISEES. 

There  have  been  various  theories  respecting  the 
'  unpardonable  sin.'  Some  have  taxed  their  ingenuity, 
others  their  imagination;  and  others,  again  —  from  the 
conflicting  views  of  theologians  —  have  supposed  that  no 
satisfactory  explanation  could  be  given.  But  in  this,  as 
in  relation  to  many  scriptural  points,  the  necessity  for  in- 
genious speculation  might  have  been  precluded,  or  the 
possibility  of  an  erroneous  construction  avoided,  had 
there  been  only  a  simple  effort  to  ascertain  the  circum- 
stances which  gave  rise  to  our  Saviour's  solemn  assevera- 
tion. Overlook  the  context,  and  there  can  be  no  end  to 
conjecture  as  to  the  meaning  of  any  scriptural  passage ; 
and  no  possibility  of  agreement  in  view,  so  long  as  minds 
reason  from  their  own  independent  dafe,  or  are  warped 
in  judgment  by  their  respective  prepossessions. 

It  appears  that  Christ  had  recently  performed  several 
miracles ;  and,  among  other  astonishing  and  gracious 
works,  had  restored  to  sight  and  to  speech  one  who, 
having  been  possessed  with  a  devil,  was  both  blind  and 
dumb.*  As  a  necessary  consequence,  "  all  the  people 
w^ere  amazed."  Such  a  miracle  could  have  been  per- 
formed by  no  ordinary  personage  :  it  naturally  suggested 
to  them  the  presence  and  power  of  one  sent  of  God  ;  it 
*  Matthew  xi.  22-3J. 


THE    SIN    OF    THE    PHARISEES.  311 

brought  to  their  recollection  that  prophecy  which  had 
been  uttered  in  the  hearing  of  their  fathers  :  "  Then,  the 
eyes  of  the  blind  shall  be  opened,  and  the  ears  of  the 
deaf  shall  be  unstopped  ;"  thus  inducing  the  involuntary 
exclamation  —  'Is  not  this  the  son  of  David?  is  not 
this  the  promised  descendant  of  David  —  the  Messiah  ?' 

Such  an  inference  was  obtruded  on  their  minds  by 
the  miracle  itself;  while  the  miracle,  when  interpreted 
in  the  light  of  the  Old-Testament  prophecies,  served  to 
corroborate  their  inference.  The  wonder  is,  not  that 
so  many  people,  in  consequence  of  the  miracle,  should 
have  been  inclined  to  embrace  Christ  as  the  Messiah, 
but  that  any  could  have  refrained  from  responding  to 
their  pertinent  interrogatory — "Is  not  this  the  son  of 
David  ?"  Disbelief,  under  such  circumstances,  merited 
a  rebuke  not  less  sarcastic  than  that  which  the  blmd  man 
whose  eyes  Jesus  had  opened,  administered  to  the  Phari- 
sees :  "  Why  herein  is  a  marvellous  thing,  that  ye 
know  not  whence  he  is ;  and  yet  he  hath  opened  mine 
eyes !" 

Was  it  not  clear,  from  their  own  Scriptures,  that  a 
Redeemer  was  promised  ?  Had  not  the  whole  Jewish 
nation  been  anxiously  expecting  their  long-predicted 
Messiah?  Was  not  his  coming  to  be  attended  with 
signal  blessings  to  their  nation  and  to  the  world  ?  Yes  ; 
but  what  was  popular  sentiment  to  those  who  affected 
to  look  down  on  the  common  people  ?  what  the  general 
good  of  the  people  to  men  whose  only  aim  was  to  retain 
their  own  authority  ?  and  of  what  avail  all  the  evidence 
with  which  the  Messiahship  of  Christ  was  accompanied, 
but  to  convince  the  Pharisees  that  the  authority  of  their 


312  THE    SIN    OF    THE    PHARISEES. 

teachings  was  endangered  ;  that,  just  in  proportion  as 
he  rose  in  popular  estimation,  they  would  sink? 

How  often  do  selfish  interests  obscure  one's  percep- 
tions to  the  truth  of  God,  or  close  his  heart  against  the 
claims  of  duty  !  What  do  some  care  for  the  welfare  of 
society,  for  the  cause  of  truth  and  righteousness,  so  long 
as  they  can  retain  the  honors  or  the  fees  of  office  ?  How 
will  they  contend  for  their  own  worldly  interests,  under 
the  plea  of  opposing  pernicious  errors,  or  of  exposing 
sinister  motives! — just  as  the  Romanists  persecuted 
Luther,  to  secure  the  sale  of  indulgences  ;  representing 
him  to  be  in  league  with  the  devil,  or  Satan  himself  in 
the  garb  of  an  angel  of  light,  that  they  might  counteract 
the  force  of  his  scriptural  arguments.  It  is,  in  fact,  a 
common  expedient  of  wicked  men  to  asperse  the  motives 
for  an  act,  if  they  cannot  deny  its  apparent  goodness  ;  to 
disarm  the  force  of  whatever  truth  may  interfere  with 
their  selfish  interests,  by  vilifying  the  character  of  Its 
advocate.  Herein  may  be  detected  the  secret  of  the 
Pharisees'  opposition  to  the  teachings  and  miracles  of 
our  blessed  Lord  :  they  saw  that  their  own  authority 
with  the  people  was  in  danger.  Too  haughty  to  bow 
themselves  to  the  claims  of  Christ,  they  were  at  the 
same  time  too  selfish  to  relinquish  their  hold  on  the 
popular  mind  ;  and  yet,  though  they  themselves  would 
not  yield,  in  what  way  could  they  restrain  the  people? 

It  will  avail  nothing  to  deny  the  miracle  :  a  thousand 
voices  at  once  testify  to  the  fact.  Equally  futile  will  it 
be  to  deny  that  such  a  miracle  must  have  been  wrought 
by  supernatural  power :  the  people  can  never  be  in- 
duced to  believe  that  it  bespeaks  no  higher  agency  than 


THE    SIN    OF    THK     PHAUISEES.  313 

any  skilful  man  might  exert ;  and  they  may  gravely  chal- 
lenge us  to  do  the  same.  We  must  grant,  therefore, 
that  a  miracle  has  been  wrought  —  and,  moreover,  that 
it  could  not  have  been  performed  by  man's  unaided 
power :  but,  at  the  same  time,  we  must  persuade  them 
that  Christ  himself  is  not  only  unworthy  of  their  confi- 
dence, but  beneath  their  respect ;  that  ice  look  down  on 
him  witu  sentiments  of  scorn  and  abhorrence ;  that  no 
one  who  either  regards  his  own  religious  interests,  or 
respects  his  character  in  society,  should  follow  a  man 
who  is  in  league  with  the  very  god  of  filth  and  abomi- 
nation \  '  Yes  ;  we  grant  you  that  a  miracle  has  been 
wrought,  and  that,  too,  by  supernatural  power ;  but  is 
there  no  power  besides  Divine  power?  is  there  not  a 
Satanic  influence  which  is  often  mistaken  for  the  very 
hand  of  God?  Does  not  the  devil  himself  sometimes 
assume  the  appearance  of  an  angel  of  light  ?  "  Why, 
this  fellow  doth  not  cast  out  devils  but  by  Beelzebub, 
the  prince  of  the  devils  !"  ' 

Wonderful  explanation !  as  though  the  devil  would 
intentionally  defeat  his  own  purposes !  as  though  he 
would  prompt  and  aid  Christ  to  undo  what  he  himself 
had  done!  This  were  to  array  Satan  against  Satan  — 
for  Satan  to  cast  out  Satan  !  So  true  is  it  that  malignity 
often  outwits  itself. 

Hence,  said  Jesus  :  "  Every  kingdom  divided  against 
itself  is  brought  to  desolation  ;  and  every  city  or  house 
divided  against  itself  shall  not  stand."  — '  Satan's  king- 
dom cannot  stand,  if,  according  to  your  principles  of 
reasoning,  I  am  in  league  with  him,  and  yet  against 
him  !' 

27 


314  THE    SIN    OF    THE    PHARISEES. 

But,  not  content  with  having,  as  it  were,  exposed  the 
absurdity  of  their  explanation  of  the  miracle,  he  ar- 
raigned their  own  followers  against  their  argument ;  for, 
as  they  pretended  to  cast  out  devils,  it  followed  that 
they  themselves  must  also  be  leagued  with  the  devil ; 
and  then,  as  though  he  had  designed  to  cover  them 
with  confusion  worse  confounded,  he  shows  them  that, 
according  to  their  own  principles  of  reasoning,  he  must 
have  overcome  and  subdued  Satan  himself — rendering 
him  utterly  powerless  to  retain  his  hold  on  any  person, 
or  to  accomplish  his  plans  :  "  How  can  one  enter  into  a 
strong  man's  house,  and  spoil  his  goods,  except  he  first 
bind  the  strong  man?" 

Perhaps  there  never  was,  in  so  few  words,  so  com- 
plete a  refutation  of  a  most  insidious  and  malignant 
attack.  He  had  not  only  caused  their  argument  to  re- 
coil with  emphasis  against  themselves  —  but,  as  they 
had  admitted  supernatural  agency  in  the  case,  it  followed 
that,  if  the  work  was  not  done  by  the  aid  of  Satan,  it 
must  have  been  by  the  power  of  God  —  these  two  forces, 
the  one  of  God,  and  the  other  of  Satan,  being  in  essen- 
tial and  necessary  antagonism  :  and  if  nothing  short  of 
Divine  power  could  rescue  men  from  the  dominion  of 
Satan,  it  conclusively  followed  that  God  had  set  up  his 
kingdom  in  the  midst  of  them. 

But,  in  addition  to  this,  our  Saviour  lays  down  and 
urges  a  great  principle  —  a  principle  to  which  on  sev- 
eral occasions  he  had  adverted,  and  which,  in  this  con- 
nection, is  introduced  with  striking  force.  Guided  by 
this  principle,  there  is  little  danger  of  mistaking  either 
the  import  of  the  miracle  which  he  had  wrought,  or  the 


THE    SIN    OF    THE    PHARISEES.  315 

relations  which  he  himself  sustained.  '  There  are  but 
two  great  antagonistic  powers  in  the  universe  :  between 
them  there  can  be  no  compromise,  no  neutrality ;  and, 
by  consequence,  if  I  am  not  in  league  with  Satan,  I 
must  be  opposed  to  him ;  and  if  you  are  not  in  league 
with  me,  you  must  be  in  league  with  him.  If  I  do  not 
aid  Satan,  I  must  oppose  him  ;  and,  in  like  manner,  if 
you  oppose  me,  you  aid  him  :  he  that  is  not  for  me,  is 
against  me  ;  and  on  this  principle,  in  siding  against  me, 
you  side  with  Satan,  and  against  God!' 

Having  thus  turned  their  argument  against  themselves, 
he  proceeds  to  expose  their  criminality  —  to  lay  bare  the 
nature  of  the  sin  of  which  they  had  been  guilty  in  hav- 
ing charged  him  with  being  in  league  with  Beelzebub, 
the  prince  of  the  devils.  In  so  doing,  they  had  offered 
a  direct  insult  to  the  Spirit  of  God  —  that  power  by 
which  the  miracle  had  been  wrought ;  thus  virtually  as- 
cribing an  exhibition  of  Divine  power  and  mercy  to  the 
agency  of  the  Evil  One.  They  had,  consequently, 
sinned  against  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  for  this  very  rea- 
son, because,  according  to  St.  Mark,  they  had  said  that 
"  Jesus  was  possessed  of  an  unclean  spirit."  Other 
sins  were  venial  in  comparison  with  this  ;  other  sins  God 
might  pardon  on  the  repentance  and  faith  of  the  trans- 
gressor ;  but  this,  involving  so  deep  and  damning  an 
insult  to  the  Most  High  —  being  at  once  so  presumptu- 
ous and  awful  —  there  can  be  no  forgiveness  for  it,  ei- 
ther in  this  world  or  in  the  world  to  come:  that  is  — 
for  it  is  a  Hebrew  form  of  expression  —  God  would 
never  forgive  it — liath  never  forgiveness,  as  St.  Mark 
explains  it,  and  thus  determines  the   meaning  of  the 


316  THE    SIN    OF    THE    PHARISEES. 

phrase  —  but  is  in  danger  of  eternal  damnation:  it 
insured  everlasting  destruction. 

It  was  no  trifling  offence  to  speak  against  him  as  the 
Son  of  man  :  still,  though  they  should  reflect  on  his 
birthplace  and  parentage,  on  his  poverty  and  lowliness ; 
and  invidiously  call  him  a  Nazarene,  or  contemptuously 
ask  whether  "  any  good  thing  could  come  out  of  Maza- 
reth" — yet,  for  such  affronts,  there  was  forgiveness  on 
repentance  :  but  if  they  accused  him  of  being  in  league 
with  Satan,  they  were  guilty  of  a  blasphemous  attack  on 
his  Divine  nature  and  power.  By  so  doing,  they  at 
once  impugned  his  Divinity,  and  most  foully  aspersed 
the  power  of  his  Father :  they  had  said  of  him  whom 
the  Father  had  sanctified,  that  he  was  corrupt ;  and 
therefore  they  were  guilty  of  blasphemy,  not  merely 
against  the  Spirit  with  which  the  man  Christ  Jesus  was 
actuated,  but  against  the  Spirit  of  God  himself! 

That  this  is  the  simple  meaning  of  the  passage,  and 
that  our  Saviour  did  not  refer  to  some  special  sin  against 
the  third  person  of  the  Trinity,  is  conclusively  evident 
from  the  following  verse  :  "  Either  make  the  tree  good 
and  his  fruit  good,  or  else  make  the  tree  corrupt  and 
his  fruit  corrupt;  for  the  tree  is  known  by  his  fruit." 
This  is  an  infallible  criterion  —  an  absolute,  universal, 
unchanging  standard  of  human  judgment.  '  Now,  I 
must  be  corrupt,  if  my  doctrines  and  works  are  those  of 
the  devil ;  but  if  they  are  not,  then  you  have  been  guilty 
of  blasphemy  in  ascribing  them  to  satanic  influence  ;  and 
not  only  so,  but  you  convict  yourselves  of  that  which 
you  charge  on  me  :  xjour  works  are   the  works  of  the 


THE    SIN    OF    THE    PHARISEES.  317 

devil,  and  your  doctrines  such  as  he  teaches.  "  O 
generation  of  vipers  !"  ' 

The  reference  is  rather  to  the  Divine  nature  of  Christ, 
than  to  the  third  person  of  the  Godhead  —  to  the  Divine 
power  by  which  he  wrought  the  miracle  ;  and,  in  blas- 
pheming that  power,  consisted  the  great  sin  of  the  Phari- 
sees ;  and  that  sin  was  unpardonable.  It  was  the  highest 
possible  affront  that  could  be  offered  to  God  :  he  who 
committed  il,  accused  God's  only-begotten  and  well- 
beloved  Son  of  having  conspired  with  Satan,  and,  by 
necessary  consequence,  of  being  himself  a  devil! 

But  though  our  Saviour's  declaration  affords  no  coun- 
tenance to  the  notion  that  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost  is 
of  a  more  aggravated  nature  than  an  offence  committed 
against  God  the  Father  or  God  the  Son,  it  is  neverthe- 
less fraught  with  the  most  solemn  meaning,  while  it 
admits  of  a  wider  application  than  is  generally  supposed. 
Taken  in  its  scriptural  connection,  it  furnishes  us  with 
a  principle  which  will  serve  to  guide  us  in  determining 
the  different  degrees  of  guilt  which  men  may  incur,  or 
the  greater  danger  to  which  they  may  be  exposed. 

Thus,  he  who  denies  that  the  Scriptures  were  written 
by  insj)irotio)i  of  God,  is  in  danger  on  the  same  princi- 
ple by  which  our  Saviour  condemned  the  Pharisees. 
They  ascribed  his  miracles  to  the  agency  of  the  Evil 
One  ;  and  what  is  it  to  deny  the  inspiration  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, but  virtually  to  assert  that  they  were  instigated  by 
the  devil?  —  for,  if  they  were  not  written  by  the  finger 
of  Divine  inspiration,  it  follows  that  they  were  written 
by  wicked  and  designing  men. 

It  is  in  vain  to  say  they  might  have  been  good  though 
27* 


318  THE    SIN    OF    THE    PHARISEES. 

mistaken  men.  Whatever  their  moral  character,  if  they 
dii  not  write  under  the  inspiration  of  the  Spirit  of  God, 
they  must  have  known  that  they  were  fabricating  a  story 
to  impose  on  the  world  ;  and  they  must  have  been  the 
most  daring  and  adroit  impostors  that  ever  lived  —  the 
very  children  of  the  devil,  him  who  is  the  father  of  lies, 
and  a  murderer  from  the  beginning. 

This  is  the  alternative  to  which  we  are  unavoidably 
reduced  in  relation  to  the  Scriptures  :  either  they  are 
true,  or  they  are  false.  If  true,  then  they  are  of  God  ; 
if  false,  of  the  devil.  There  is  no  middle  ground  be- 
tween truth  and  falsehood — between  the  principle  of  all 
good  and  the  principle  of  all  evil ;  and  he  who  regards 
the  Scriptures  as  the  work  of  men,  is  in  no  wise  less 
culpable  than  the  Pharisees,  who  thought  to  trace  Christ's 
miraculous  power  to  his  co-operation  with  Satan. 

Little  did  the  Pharisees  think  of  the  real  import  and 
bearing  of  their  explanation  ;  and  seldom  may  the  infi- 
del pause  to  reflect  on  the  import  of  his  own  objections. 
Be  this  as  it  may,  he  has  virtually  ascribed  the  work  of 
the  Scriptures  to  the  agency  of  the  Evil  One  ;  and  if 
this  be  not,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  blasphemy  against 
the  Holy  Ghost  —  that  Spirit  which  indited  the  Scrip- 
tures—  then  there  is  no  relevancy  in  our  Saviour's  rea- 
soning against  the  position  of  the  Pharisees. 

It  avails  nothing  to  say  he  may  not  believe  that  the 
Scriptures  have  been  written  by  inspiration  of  God : 
neither  did  the  Pharisees  believe  that  our  Saviour's 
miracle  was  a  Divine  miracle.  But,  as  they  withstood 
the  clearest  evidence,  and  perverted  an  unquestionable 
fact,  through  the  selfishness  and  malignity  of  their  hearts, 


THE    SIN    OF    THE    PHARISEES.  319 

what  but  some  equally  selfish  or  malignant  purpose  can 
lead  a  man  to  withstand  the  evidences  of  inspired  truth  ? 
Did  the  former  only  betray  their  desperate  depravity, 
then  the  latter,  in  denying  the  inspiration  of  Scripture, 
evinces  no  less  presumption  and  impiety.  Nay,  no  man 
who  is  not  himself  in  league  with  the  powers  of  dark- 
ness, could  deliberately  give  this  word  the  lie.  He  must 
be  already  given  up  to  judicial  blindness  of  mind  and 
hardness  of  heart,  who  can  lay  his  hand  on  the  Bible 
and  say,  '  I  believe  this  book  to  be  false  as  hell ;'  much 
more,  if,  having  uttered  this  in  his  retirement,  he  hears 
no  accusing  voice  from  within,  whispering  as  from  the 
depths  of  an  oracle  —  'Fool!  madman!  the  curse  of 
God  is  on  thee  !' 

Men  may  have  their  doubts,  and  be  inclined  to  listen 
to  objections  ;  or  they  may  utter  remarks  in  public  which 
in  private  their  own  consciences  force  them  to  retract. 
For  the  sake  of  showing  their  superiority  to  the  com- 
mon mind,  or  of  being  undisturbed  in  their  worldly 
course,  they  may  ward  off  the  arrows  of  truth,  and  affect 
to  be  what  they  are  not ;  but,  however  hazardous  the 
course  which  such  are  pursuing,  they  are  not  as  yet  lost 
to  all  moral  sensibility  :  their  assertions  belie  their  con- 
victions ;  their  assumed  indifference,  or  even  their  jeers 
and  witticisms,  but  ill  conceal  the  wrestling  uneasiness 
of  their  thoughts.  Notwithstanding  their  habit  of  talk- 
ing, or  their  forwardness  to  start  difficulties,  such  are 
not  without  their  moments  of  seriousness.  Conscience 
at  times  rebukes  them  ;  and  conscience  can  be  silenced 
only  by  worldly  diversion,  or  by  the  secret  purpose  of 
final    repentancp  :    and    thus  it    happens  that    men    of 


320  THE    SIN    OF    THE    PHARISEES. 

this  class  are  not  unfreqnently  brought  to  the  penitent 
acknowledgment  and  belief  of  the  truth.  Here  and 
there,  too,  is  a  man  whose  mind  is  embarrassed  by  some 
irrelevant  difficulty ;  who  would  believe,  but  cannot ; 
who  looks  on  Christianity  as  a  most  beautiful  theory, 
and  goes  away  sorrowing. 

But  in  relation  to  the  other  class  of  skeptics  —  they 
who,  having  long  trifled  with  serious  things,  have  at  last 
seared  their  consciences,  and  therefore  not  hesitated  to 
revile  and  ridicule  as  well  as  denounce  the  Scriptures  — 
it  admits  of  doubt  whether  any  one  of  this  class  has  ever 
been  brought  to  true  repentance.  Were  such  men 
as  Paine  and  Voltaire  ?  Alas  !  their  souls  were  steeped 
in  the  guilt  of  blasphemy  —  blasphemy  against  the  Holy 
Ghost!  For  them,  there  was  no  j^eace  —  no  hope: 
they  awoke  at  last  to  their  enormous  guilt,  only  to  die 
embosomed  in  the  horrors  of  the  second  death  ! 

Akin  to  this,  and  almost  as  hazardous,  is  the  sin  of 
taking  from,  or  adding  to,  the  inspired  Scriptures.  This 
is  done,  on  the  one  hand,  by  the  rationalist,  and,  on  the 
other,  by  the  traditionist ;  and,  in  either  case,  what  less 
does  it  involve  than  an  affront  to  the  Spirit  of  God?  Is 
it  not  to  assert  that  God's  Spirit  has  indited  either  more 
or  less  than  is  necessary  to  our  salvation  ?  Does  it  not 
virtually  impeach  either  the  truthfulness  or  the  sufficiency 
of  the  inspired  Scriptures  ?  Is  it  not,  to  a  certain  ex- 
tent, either  falsifying  the  mind  of  the  Spirit,  or  wholly 
disparaging  his  work?  And  thus  to  pervert  the  Scrip- 
tures—  what  is  this  but  the  very  conduct  of  the  Phari- 
sees, who  perverted  a  Divine  miracle  ?  —  like  them, 
admitting  only  so  much  of  the  miracle  of  inspiration  as 


THE    RIN    OF    THE    PHARISEES.  821 

will  suit  our  theories  or  our  selfish  interests  ;  or  so  over- 
laying the  Scriptures  as  to  lessen  the  inspired  writers 
in  the  estimation  of  the  people,  and  to  exalt  ourselves  — 
leading  the  people  to  adhere  to  us  rather  than  to  follow 
Christ !  It  is  even  to  convict  ourselves  of  being  in 
league  with  self  and  the  world,  against  the  admission  or 
against  the  spread  of  evangelical  truth  !  To  us,  this 
seems  too  obvious  to  need  either  proof  or  illustration. 
Yet,  if  one  should  retain  a  book  which  the  author  had 
loaned  to  him,  and  after  a  while  return  it  to  him,  with 
here  and  there  a  passage  cut  out,  and  some  of  its  pages 
torn  out — having  left  only  such  parts  as  he  did  not  dis- 
like—  would  it  not  be  said  that  he  had  taken  an  unpar- 
donable liberty?  or  if,  instead  of  the  same  book,  he 
should  send  his  own  comments  in  the  place  of  it,  assu- 
ring the  author  that  without  his  comments  it  could  not 
be  understood,  or  might  be  perverted  —  what  greater 
insult  could  he  offer  ?  But  such  is  the  audacious  lib- 
erty which  the  rationalist  takes  with  God's  word  ;  such, 
too,  though  in  an  incomparably  greater  degree,  the 
affront  which  the  traditionist  puts  on  God's  Revelation  ! 
Instead  of  God's  word,  he  hands  us  the  decrees  of  men  ; 
instead  of  bowing  to  the  truth  of  God,  he  turns  the  truth 
into  a  lie  by  his  traditions.  In  all  such  cases,  the  sin 
of  mocking  and  insulting  the  Spirit  of  God  is  just  as 
apparent  as  if  a  juggler  or  a  mesmerizer  should  attempt, 
by  imitating  the  Christian  miracles,  to  disparage  the 
power  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Hence  it  appears  that  he  who  has  once  deliberately 
perverted  the  plain  meaning  of  Scripture,  goes  on,  as  by 
a  fatal  necessity,  in  the  downward  road  of  error.    Having 


32i9  THE    SIN    OF    THE    PHARISEES. 

perverted  one  passage,  he  has  less  difficuhy  in  pervert- 
ing another  ;  having  discarded  one  doctrine,  he  cannot 
rest  until  he  has  explained  away  another :  until,  from 
being  a  Pelagian,  he  becomes  a  Socinian  ;  from  being 
a  Socinian,  he  becomes  also  a  Universalist ;  and  thence 
verges  with  rapid  strides  to  infidelity  :  or,  from  being  a 
fanatic,  he  becomes  a  formalist ;  and  thence  a  malignant 
bigot,  or  a  gloomy,  scornful  skeptic  ! 

Thus  it  is,  also,  that  he  who  begins  to  interpret  Scrip- 
ture by  tradition,  seldom  ends  until  he  has  lost  sight  of 
Scripture  in  his  traditions,  and  all  regard  for  truth  and 
righteousness  in  his  greater  deference  to  the  tithe  of 
mint,  anise,  and  cumin. 

There  is,  indeed,  a  closer  affinity  between  the  ration- 
alist and  the  traditionist  than  might  be  supposed  :  though 
perhaps  opposed  to  each  other  on  certain  points,  yet  at 
last  they  meet,  as  on  a  common  platform,  in  their  efforts 
to  pervert  and  obscure  the  mind  of  the  Spirit. 

Be  it  considered  that  some  of  the  most  malignant  and 
ruthless  infidels  have  sprung  from  the  bosom  of  Rome, 
as  well  as  from  the  schools  of  rationalism  ;  and  if  there 
be  so  close  a  connection  between  the  perversion  and  the 
rejection  of  the  Scriptures,  do  not  they  who  either  deface 
or  obscure  the  mind  of  the  Spirit  contract  peculiar  guilt? 

Can  we  do  no  more  than  draw  an  inference  from  the 
case  of  the  Pharisees  ?  Be  it  so  :  but  let  no  one  say 
that  the  inference  is  unsupported  by  scriptural  analogy, 
until  he  has  pondered  the  testimony  of  St.  John  :  "  For 
I  testify  unto  every  man  that  heareth  the  words  of  the 
prophecy  of  this  book.  If  any  man  shall  add  unto  these 
things,  God  shall  add   unto  him  the  plagues  that  are 


THE    SIN    OF    TIIK    PHARISEES.  323 

written  in  this  book :  and  if  any  man  shall  take  away 
from  the  words  of  the  book  of  this  prophecy,  God  shall 
take  away  his  part  out  of  the  book  of  life,  and  out  of 
the  holy  city,  and  from  the  things  which  are  written  in 
this  book." 

In  like  manner  we  might  show  what  a  risk  they  incur 
who  presume  to  resolve  all  instances  of  conversion  into 
the  power  of  fanatical  delusion.  No  one  can  look  into 
the  history  of  Christ  without  perceiving  that  almost  all 
his  difficulties  arose  from  the  Pharisees  ;  but  men  are 
now  just  as  tenacious  of  power  and  pomp  as  they  were 
then — just  as  averse  from  any  thing  that  tends  to  mor- 
tify their  pride,  or  obstruct  the  gratification  of  their  self- 
ish aspirings.  The  carnal  mind  —  no  matter  what  the 
phases  of  belief  or  of  godliness  it  may  have  assumed  — 
is  still,  as  we  have  before  noted,  enmity  against  God. 
The  fact  of  its  making  mention  of  God,  and  professing 
a  regard  for  his  honor,  may  be  in  perfect  consistency 
with  the  fact  that  it  is  inimical  to  the  truth  of  God ;  and 
one  of  the  ways  in  which  it  betrays  the  state  of  its  affec- 
tions, is  the  very  way  which  the  Pharisees  adopted  to 
disparage  our  Saviour's  miracles. 

They  cannot  deny  that  in  a  given  instance  there  is  all 
the  scriptural  evidence  of  a  true  conversion  from  sin 
unto  holiness.  The  individual  has  showed  unquestion- 
able signs  of  repentance  and  faith ;  and  he  is  abound- 
ing in  all  those  fruits  of  righteousness  which  are  by 
Jesus  Christ,  unto  the  glory  and  praise  of  God.  But 
will  they  admit  that  this  change  has  been  wrought  by 
the  Spirit  of  God  ?  This  were  to  admit  that  Christian- 
ity  is   true  ;   or,  if  its  iruth  bo  granted,   this  were  to 


324  THE    SIN    OF    THE    PHARISEES. 

acknowledge  that  God  may  employ  other  instruments 
of  casting  out  devils  besides  themselves  :  nay,  it  were 
to  undermine  the  foundation  on  which  they  have  built 
their  own  authority!  What  then  ?  —  it  is  only  an  in- 
stance of  fanaticism  !  it  is  the  delusion  of  the  devil !  — 
Thus  the  Pharisees'  explanation  of  our  Saviour's  mira- 
cle is  in  reality  the  construction  which  is  sometimes  put 
on  the  striking  phenomena  of  a  revival  of  religion,  or  on 
individual  instances  of  signal  conversion. 

For  myself,  I  dare  not  disparage  the  evidences  of 
true  piety,  lest  my  own  works  be  arraigned  as  witnesses 
against  me  ;  nor  forbid  others  to  cast  out  devils,  lest  I  con- 
vict myself  of  a  greater  regard  for  my  own  authority  and 
influence  among  men  than  for  the  welfare  of  perishing 
souls.  I  dare  not  resolve  the  most  benign  and  glorious 
effects  which  religion  has  ever  produced,  into  fanati- 
cism, lest,  with  the  infidel,  I  confound  God's  work  with 
the  work  of  the  Evil  One  ;  or,  with  the  Pharisee,  incur 
the  guilt  of  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Ghost ! 

But,  however  presumptuous  it  would  be  in  us  to  say 
of  any  one,  that  he  has  committed  a  sin  which  God  will 
never  pardon  ;  and  however  difficult,  or  rather  impossi- 
ble, it  is  to  prove  that  some  particular  word  or  act  con- 
stitutes the  unpardonable  sin  —  though  no  one  has  any 
scriptural  reason  to  conclude  that  he  has  committed 
this  sin,  so  long  as  he  feels  his  need  of  a  Saviour,  and 
has  a  heart  to  believe' on  Christ,  acknowledging  his  de- 
pendence on  God's  holy  Spirit, — yet  certain  it  is,  from 
the  teachings  of  Scripture,  that  "  there  is  a  sin  unto 
death"  —  a  sin  which  hath  never  forgiveness  ! 

If  there  is  not,  why  should  Christ's  ambassadors  so 


THE    SIN    OP    THE    PHARISEES.  325 

often  set  forth  the  evidences  of  gospel  truth,  and  aim  to 
convince  men  of  their  guilt  and  danger ;  so  often  call 
on  them  to  repent  and  believe,  and  solemnly  warn  them 
against  the  imminent  hazard  of  delay  ;  so  often  tell 
them,  weeping,  that  they  are  "  the  enemies  of  the  cross 
of  Christ,"  and  beseech  them,  "  in  Christ's  stead,  to 
be  reconciled  to  God  ?"  All  who  are  still  out  of  Christ 
must  be  exposing  themselves  to  tremendous  risk  —  or 
the  gospel  is  without  meaning,  and  all  preaching  worse 
than  a  solemn  farce.  The  sin,  then,  to  which  we  allude, 
is  that  of  final  unhdief:  into  this  all  other  sins  may  be 
resolved  —  all  modes  of  skepticism  and  formalism  —  all 
covert  as  well  as  open  opposition  to  the  truth  —  all  en- 
mity or  indifference  to  the  Redeemer's  kingdom  —  all 
preference  of  self  and  the  world  to  the  love  of  souls  and 
the  glory  of  God  —  all  neglect  of  opportunities  —  all 
resistance  of  conviction  —  all  trifling  with  the  word  and 
the  Spirit  of  God  :  this  necessarily  involves  the  sin 
of  resisting,  and  of  affronting,  and  of  grieving  away  the 
ever-blessed  Spirit  of  God,  whose  province  it  is  to  con- 
vince of  sin,  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment  to  come, 
and  without  whose  influences,  working  faith,  and  love, 
and  purity  in  the  heart,  no  one  can  enter  the  kingdom 
of  God. 

Hence  it  is  that  he  who  has  ceased  to  feel  on  the 
subject  of  religion  ;  whom  no  entreaties,  no  warnings, 
can  move  ;  who  intentionally  dismisses  serious  thoughts 
whenever  they  are  brought  to  his  mind  —  may  have 
already  committed  this  sin.  The  Spirit  of  God  may 
have  withdrawn  from  him  !  and  if  so,  he  can  never  be 
brought  to  repentance.  His  peace  is  a  false  peace. 
28 


326  THE    SIN    OF    THE    PHARISEES. 

He  has  built  his  house  on  the  sand.  He  will  die  as  he 
had  lived.  In  consequence  of  his  resistance  to  the  truth, 
or  his  endeavors  to  explain  it  away  in  accordance  with 
his  heart's  lusts — having  stifled  his  own  convictions,  or 
having  closed  his  eyes  against  the  miracles  of  conversion 
wrought  by  an  omnipotent  Spirit  —  God  may  have  given 
him  up  to  strong  delusions,  to  believe  a  lie  to  his  own 
destruction.  Hence  the  danger,  not  only  of  falsifying 
and  of  perverting  or  obscuring  the  mind  of  the  Spirit  as 
revealed  through  the  sacred  oracles,  but  of  trijiivg  with 
sacred  things  and  serious  convictions  ;  and,  by  conse- 
quence, of  grieving  the  Spirit ! 

Unbelief!  this  is  the  sin  of  sins  —  the  deadly,  damning 
sin  ;  for  Christ  himself  has  said  :  "  He  that  believeth 
shall  be  saved  ;  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned." 
Hence  the  unutterably  solemn  force  of  the  apostolic  in- 
junction—  *'  Grieve  not  the  Spirit .'"  He  who  has  often 
by  turns  shuddered  and  wept  as  the  solemn  thoughts  of 
death,  judgment,  and  eternity  came  over  his  mind,  may 
banish  all  serious  reflection,  and  stifle  his  convictions ; 
but  why  should  God's  Spirit  ever  return,  when  once 
deliberately  resisted  ? 


THE    WAYS    OF    THE    WORLD.  327 


THE  WAYS  OF  THE  WORLD. 

It  is  remarkable  that,  previous  to  John's  execution, 
Herod  had  not  heard  of  Christ's  miraculous  works. 
The  supposition  that  he  had  been  for  some  time  absent 
from  his  domain,  might  be  admitted  in  explanation  of 
the  fact,  were  it  not  that  the  intelligence  of  Christ's 
miracles  was  as  strange  to  his  courtiers  as  to  himself. 
Nor  is  it  any  more  reasonable  to  suppose  that,  as  Christ 
had  then  endowed  his  disciples  with  miraculous  power, 
and  sent  them  forth  to  act  in  his  name,  Herod  was  in- 
duced for  the  first  time  to  attend  to  the  report.  His 
exclamation  implies  that  he  had  never  heard  of  our 
Saviour's  doings  before,  or  even  known  that  such  a  per- 
sonage existed  ;  while  the  fact  itself  serves  to  prove,  not 
that  the  commencement  of  Christ's  ministry  occasioned 
but  little  excitement  through  Judea,  but  simply  that  the 
worldly  great  men  of  those  times  stood  aloof  from  the 
people,  and  that  they  did  not  voluntarily  avail  themselves 
of  any  opportunity  for  receiving  religious  intelligence.* 

Even  now,  men  of  this  rank,  especially  if  they  are 
occupied  with  the  affairs  of  civil  government,  are  apt  to 
be  regardless  of  all  religious  movements  —  perhaps  in- 
different to  the  spiritual  operations  of  the  church  with 
which  they  are  nominally  connected.  Some  man  of 
*  Matthew  xiv.  1-12. 


328  THE    WAYS    OF    THE    WORLD. 

God  may  appear  in  their  immediate  vicinage,  preaching 
in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of  power,  to  listen- 
ing thousands  ;  while  they  are  as  uninterested,  it  may 
be  as  ignorant  of  the  event,  as  though  they  dwelt  in  a 
different  planet.  They  do  move  in  a  different  world  : 
it  is  the  world  of  fashion,  of  convivial  pleasure,  of  poli- 
tics, or  of  speculation  —  that  world  to  which  Herod  and 
his  court  belonged. 

At  last  the  intelligence  of  some  great  religious  move- 
ment is  forced  on  dieir  hearing  ;  and  if  it  be  not  possible 
to  deny  the  facts,  they  are  immediately  resolved  into 
the  force  of  enthusiasm  or  of  fanaticism  —  some  shrewd 
design  for  defrauding  the  multitude  of  their  gains,  or 
enlisting  popular  applause  !  So,  when  Herod  heard  of 
the  fame  of  Jesus,  and  was  constrained  to  form  a  judg- 
ment of  his  mighty  works,  he  could  account  for  them  in 
no  other  way  than  that  the  recently  decapitated  Baptist 
had  risen  from  the  dead  ! 

But  this  is  not  the  only  particular  in  which  Herod  will 
serve  to  illustrate  the  ways  of  the  world.  Because  Sa- 
lome had  danced  before  him,  thus  ministering  for  a 
brief  hour  to  the  gratification  of  his  eye,  he  promised 
her  the  half  of  his  kingdom  !  But  John,  who  had  so 
long  and  faithfully  aimed  to  promote  his  best  interests, 
is  thrust  Into  prison  ;  nay,  the  head  of  that  holy  man  is 
not  too  great  a  recompense  for  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
Salome  dance  ! 

Thus  Socrates,  who  "  passed  his  whole  time  in  inci- 
ting the  young  and  the  old  to  care  for  neither  body  nor 
estate  in  preference  to,  or  in  comparison  with,  the 
excellence  of  the  soul,"  was  rewarded  by  imprisonment 


THE    WAYS    OF    THE    WORLD.  329 

and  death !  We  need  not  add,  thus  was  a  greater  than 
Socrates  repaid  for  a  Hfe  of  unparalleled  self-denial  in 
the  cause  of  ruined  humanity. 

So  now,  he  who  aims  to  correct  the  views  and  reform 
the  habits  of  worldly  men,  incurs  their  displeasure  ; 
while  he  who  contributes  to  the  gratification  of  their 
passions,  may  enjoy  their  favor.  To  be  regarded  as 
their  friend,  it  is  simply  necessary  to  encourage,  or  ra- 
ther not  to  molest  them  in  their  ruinous  courses.  Of 
what  account  to  such  is  any  opportunity  for  receiving 
religious  instruction,  compared  with  an  evening  of  con- 
vivial pleasure  ?  What  are  the  teachings  of  the  greatest 
and  best  of  men,  compared  with  the  fascinations  of  the 
stage,  the  antics  of  a  dancer,  or  the  jokes  of  a  clown  ? 
—  Hence  it  is  that  places  of  worldly  amusement  are 
thronged,  while  the  sanctuaries  of  religion  attract  but 
few  ;  that  the  praise  of  an  actor  may  be  on  every  lip, 
while  a  faithful  preacher  of  the  gospel  is  too  often  spo- 
ken of  only  to  be  maligned  ;  that  it  is  so  much  easier  to 
raise  money  for  a  theatre  than  a  church  ;  to  further 
some  political  project  than  to  advance  the  cause  of 
Christianity. 

Wherever  his  own  selfish  gratification  is  concerned, 
there  man  may  be  all  liberality ;  but  in  matters  which 
respect  God's  glory  and  the  great  ends  of  life,  he  be- 
trays his  niggardliness,  if  not  his  malignity.  Whenever 
the  triumph  of  parly  demands  the  sacrifice  of  all  self- 
respect,  he  can  extol  the  most  unsuitable  candidate  for 
office  ;  and,  in  like  manner,  he  may  praise  and  sustain 
the  prophet  who  prophesies  falsely,  or  utters  "smooth 
things,"  ami  "plays  skilfully  upon  an  instrument;"  but 


^30  THE    WAYS    OF    THE    WORLD. 

all  his  feelings  will  gather  into  acrimony  against  the 
prophet  who,  in  fidelitj^  to  his  soul,  tells  him  of  his  sins, 
and  kindly  essays  to  disrupt  the  ties  that  bind  him  to  a 
soul-destroying  world. 

We  can  hardly  recall,  without  a  tear,  the  sad  fate  that 
genius  has  often  encountered  ;  but  what  are  the  so-called 
"  calamities  of  authors"  who  toiled  to  enlarge  the  views 
and  refine  the  sentiments  of  society,  compared  with  the 
occasional  trials  of  gospel  ministers  ?  It  is  their  lot,  at 
times,  not  merely  to  struggle  with  want,  but  with  oblo- 
quy—  to  be  reviled  even  when  they  come  forth  to  bless  ! 

A  wicked  man  can  have  no  cordiality  toward  a  faith- 
ful minister.  He  may  profess  regard  :  like  Herod,  he 
may  do  many  things  gladly  —  attend  the  preached  word, 
and  assume  the  posture  of  devotion  ;  but  let  the  minis- 
ter of  the  sanctuary  designate  his  besetting  sin  or  unhal- 
lowed pursuit,  and,  revealing  his  true  character,  convict 
him  before  the  bar  of  Heaven,  as  well  as  of  his  own 
conscience,  of  deliberately  violating  the  principles  of 
truth  and  duty  —  sacrificing  the  moral  interests  of  others 
for  the  sake  of  his  own  selfish  ends  —  and  he  goes  away, 
not  to  repent  in  secret  places,  but  to  give  vent  to  angry 
and  embittered  feelings.  Seldom  is  it  that  any  one  will 
bear  to  be  told  liis  sin,  be  it  only  some  foible  of  char- 
acter;  much  less  if  that  sin  be  of  a  heinous  nature,  and 
the  guilty  man  has  prided  himself  on  his  standing. 

Is  it  contended  that  no  offence  can  be  taken  where 
none  is  intended,  or  where  zeal  has  not  degenerated 
into  acrimonious  rashness  ?  What  judgment,  then,  must 
we  pronounce,  not  only  on  such  men  of  God  as  Hanani 
and  Zechariah,  to  whom  we  have  referred,  but  on  .Tohn 


THE    WAYS    OF    THE    WORLD.  331 

Baptist,  and  the  Apostle  Paul,  and  even  Christ  him- 
self? 

In  doubtful  matters,  one  cannot  be  too  slow  to  speak  ; 
but  when  a  practice  is  known  to  be  wrong,  such  as  the 
Bible  may  have  singled  out  for  emphatic  reprehension, 
there  is  an  authoritative  call  for  prompt  reproof  and  ear- 
nest expostulation.  The  greater  one's  guilt  and  the 
more  imminent  his  danger,  the  more  imperative  is  the 
duty  of  faithfulness  on  the  part  of  the  minister  of  the 
sanctuary  ;  but  the  greater  consequently  is  his  liability 
to  the  enmity,  if  not  the  revenge  of  a  wicked  man.  Such 
is  the  opposition  of  the  natural  heart  to  God's  authority 
—  so  bent  is  it,  at  times,  on  its  unhallowed  gains  or 
vicious  pleasures.  It  should  then  be  understood,  and 
duly  pondered,  that  the  manner  in  which  one  receives 
scriptural  reproof,  and  treats  his  reprover,  is  no  falla- 
cious criterion  of  Christian  character. 

Though  Herod  might  of  his  own  accord  have  impris- 
oned the  Baptist,  yet  is  it  evident  that  he  would  not 
have  proceeded  to  the  extremity  of  guilt,  had  it  not  been 
for  the  machinations  of  Herodias.  He  yielded  to  im- 
portunity, contrary  to  the  convictions  of  his  own  mind, 
and  to  the  remonstrances  of  his  own  conscience.  There 
is,  indeed,  no  probability  of  our  being  ever  tempted  to 
effect  the  imprisonment  and  death  of  a  good  man  ;  but 
where  is  the  family  in  which  there  is  not  essential  dis- 
similarity of  view  and  feeling  on  the  subject  of  religion  ? 
Great  as  are  the  temptations  to  which  the  Christian  is 
exposed  in  the  relations  of  secular  business,  his  most 
dangerous  tempters  may  be  under  his  own  roof,  around 
his  own  hearth.     His  example  is  a  tacit  reproof  to  their 


332  THE    WAYS    OF    THE    WORLD. 

worldliness  ;  or,  through  the  ascendency  of  worldly 
views,  they  are  mortified  at  what  seems  to  them  revolt- 
ing austerity  or  affected  singularity,  ignorance  of  the 
world  or  a  foolish  disregard  for  one's  own  interests  : 
hence,  he  is  tempted  to  modify  his  views,  to  compro- 
mise his  principles,  or  to  neglect  some  special  duty. 
Thus  it  occasionally  happens  that  a  religious  husband 
is  drawn  aside  from  his  duty  by  the  influence  of  an  irre- 
ligious wife  ;  that  a  converted  youth  is  diverted  from  the 
work  of  the  gospel  ministry  by  the  views  of  paternal 
ambition ;  that  a  gay  and  frivolous  mother  at  last  pre- 
vails over  the  religious  scruples  which  her  daughter  may 
have  imbibed  at  school,  and  ushers  her  into  all  the  folly 
and  guilt  of  fashionable  life ;  that  even  the  minister  of 
the  gospel  is  at  times  betrayed,  through  the  flatteries  of 
his  relatives,  into  a  spirit  of  vainglory  and  levity  of 
conduct,  perhaps  into  worldliness. 

Thus,  too,  are  we  enabled  to  account  for  some  of 
those  instances  of  injustice  and  passion  which  are  so 
difficult  to  be  reconciled  with  our  knowledge  of  previ- 
ous character :  one  defrauding  his  creditors,  lest  family 
pride  should  be  humbled  ;  another,  though  a  man  of 
plain  habits,  suddenly  affecting  family  splendor  ;  another, 
though  not  devoid  of  either  mind  or  conscience,  feeling 
himself  insulted  by  the  gospel  message  ;  and  another,  a 
man  of  naturally  kind  and  amiable  feelings,  incensed  at 
some  imaginary  wrong,  or  pertinaciously  cherishing  the 
most  malicious  prejudice. 

The  moral  dangers  of  the  domestic  relation  arise  from 
the  desirableness  of  living  in  harmony  with  those  with 
whom  we  are  necessarily  brought  in  contact ;  from  our 


TliE    WAYS    OF    THE     WORLD.  333 

natural  unwillingness  to  disoblisie  those  to  whom  we  are 
related  ;  and  then,  again,  from  the  facilities  which  the 
family  relation  affords  for  the  gradual  development  of  a 
scheme,  or  for  seizing  on  the  best  possible  opportunity. 
There,  every  member  is  naturally  free  and  unrestrained, 
suspicionless  and  open  ;  and,  as  no  one  thinks  of  being 
on  his  guard  against  those  with  whom  he  is  connected  by 
ties  naturally  so  endearing  —  whose  worldly  interest  is 
one  and  the  same  —  hence  the  advantage  which  any  un- 
principled or  artful  member  has  for  effecting  a  sinister 
purpose. 

Herodias,  though  the  king  would  not  yield  to  her 
wishes,  did  not  despair  :  she  watched  her  opportunity, 
and  found  it  when  he  had  forgotten  himself  in  an  hour 
of  riotous  festivity.  So  has  many  a  person  been  be- 
trayed into  a  promise  which  it  was  alike  sinful  to  make, 
and  difficult  to  break  —  enticed  to  scenes  which  his 
Christian  profession  forbade  him  to  witness  —  drawn 
away  from  the  sanctuary,  and  led  into  a  life  of  worldli- 
ness,  until  at  last  the  tempted  becomes  the  tempter ! 

Strong  and  lasting  is  the  influence  of  the  family  rela- 
tion ;  and  therefore  the  Christian  cannot  pause  too  long 
before  cementing  a  union  with  an  irreligious  person.  If 
Christ's  foes  were  those  of  his  own  household,  itneeds 
not  excite  our  surprise  should  the  arch-adversary  of 
souls  seek  his  agents  among  those  from  whom  we  look 
for  regard,  and  in  whom  we  naturally  confide. 

There  are  times  when  innocent  enjoyments  dispose 
us  to  thoughtlessness,  or  when  unexpected  occurrences 
incline  us  to  frivolity  —  when  success  is  apt  to  inflate 
us  with  pride,  or  disappointment  to  render  us  gloomy 


334  THE    WAYS    OF    THE    WORLD. 

and  despondent ;  and  these  are  ordinarily  the  convenient 
times  for  the  Great  Tempter :  and,  though  it  may  seem 
a  trivial  matter  if,  in  order  to  gratify  the  wishes  of  oth- 
ers, or  to  secure  their  favorable  opinion,  we  yield  to 
temptation  but  only  once — yet,  by  so  doing,  we  have 
impaired  the  strength  of  our  principles,  and  perhaps 
fatally  wounded  the  integrity  of  our  souls. 

Herod's  subsequent  crimes  are  all  directly  traceable 
to  his  unlawful  marriage  ;  as  the  enormities  of  Domitian 
may  be  traced  to  a  seemingly  insignificant  circumstance 
in  his  early  life.  No  man  becomes  a  villain  at  once ; 
and  no  one  knows  what  will  be  the  ultimate  consequen- 
ces of  yielding  to  any  temptation.  At  first  he  only  con- 
ceals the  truth  ;  then  tells  a  deliberate  falsehood  ;  and 
finally  perjures  himself!  At  first  he  indulges  only  in 
irritated  feelings,  or  petty  malice  ;  at  last,  sheds  a  broth- 
er's blood,  and  blasphemes  his  Maker !  He  thinks 
there  is  no  harm,  much  less  danger,  in  indulging  the 
lusts  of  the  eye  :  ere  long  he  is  apprehended  for  theft, 
or  convicted  of  adultery  !  He  has  taken  only  a  little 
advantage  of  his  neighbor :  now  he  deliberately  aims  to 
overreach,  and  ends  by  forging  another's  name,  or  by 
sacrificing  another's  life  for  gain  !  Is  it  unnecessary  to 
multiply  instances?  We  are  convinced  that  one  sin 
leads  on,  by  a  necessary  connection,  to  another  and  a 
greater:  but  who  bears  this  in  mind,  or  takes  timely 
warning?  Does  the  idler?  No;  or  he  would  at  once 
betake  himself  to  some  employment,  be  it  only  for  the 
sake  of  employment,  lest,  through  the  oppressive  vacuity 
of  idleness,  he  seek  the  excitement  of  the  damning  bowl ; 
or,  through  the  embarrassment  of  his  affairs,  be  allured 


THE    WAYS    OF    THE    WORLD.  335 

to  the  gambler's  hell.  —  Does  the  lover  of  high  life  ?  No  ; 
or  he  would  earnestly  sue  for  an  humble  heart,  foresee- 
ing the  abyss  that  awaits  him,  and  perhaps  his  family, 
should  he  persist  in  those  extravagances  which  lead,  by 
necessary  steps,  to  profligacy  and  ruin! — Does  the 
Christian  professor?  Why,  then,  are  so  many  undis- 
tinguished from  the  world,  though  they  were  once  most 
circumspect?  They  meant  to  sin  but  once  only;  and 
that  was  a  little  sin  !  But  now  they  can  violate  the 
Lord's  day,  and  feel  no  compunction  ;  now  they  can 
frequent  haunts  of  vicious  amusement,  and  presume  to 
justify  themselves  ;  now  they  can  habitually  neglect  even 
the  private  duties  of  religion  !  Nor  did  that  youth,  who 
had  been  religiously  educated,  consider  this  ;  or  he 
would  have  paused  before  he  suffered  any  worldly  com- 
pany or  feelings  of  lassitude  to  keep  him  from  the  house 
of  God  :  he  may  go  on,  attending  with  less  and  less  reg- 
ularity, until  at  last  he  not  only  deserts  the  sanctuary, 
but  forswears  his  father's  God  ! 

It  is  indeed  hazardous  to  yield  to  any  temptation,  but 
still  more  dangerous  to  ])ersist  in  any  known  sin.  In 
the  former  case,  the  world  gradually  obtains  an  insensi- 
ble control  over  our  hearts  ;  in  the  latter,  we  abandon 
all  regard  for  principle,  and  lose  all  sense  of  sin  :  and 
the  only  reason  we  have  not  omitted  other  duties,  and 
committed  other  sins,  is  simply  because  we  have  not 
yet  been  suitably  tempted.  Herod's  governing  princi- 
ple of  action  could  have  had  no  reference  to  any  thing 
without  or  beyond  himself.  He  would  have  imprisoned 
the  Baptist  long  before,  had  he  not  feared  the  people. 
He  was,  indeed,  shocked   at  Salome's  scandalous  re- 


336  THE     WAYS    OF    THE     WORLD. 

quest;  but,  having  been  so  positive  in  his  offer,  and 
that,  too,  in  the  presence  of  his  guests,  he  was  really 
ashamed  to  refuse,  rather  than  perplexed  by  any  con- 
scientious scruples  respecting  his  oath  :  and  now,  to 
please  the  people,  this  same  Herod  that  beheaded  John, 
delivers  up  Jesus  to  be  insulted  and  scourged ! 

But  even  this  act  of  consummate  injustice  and  wrong 
need  not  excite  our  surprise.  In  relation  to  Christ,  he 
acted  precisely  as  a  man  invested  with  authority  might 
have  been  expected  to  act,  whose  understanding  had 
been  perverted  and  conscience  seared  by  protracted 
indulgence  in  known  sin.  As  a  vessel  without  a  helm 
is  driven  to  and  fro  according  to  the  shifting  direction 
of  the  winds,  so  a  man  without  moral  principle  must  be 
impelled  from  one  crime  to  another,  according  to  the 
directing  force  of  his  depraved  interests.  There  can 
be  no  moral  impediment  in  the  way  of  murder  to  one 
who,  in  defiance  of  the  law  of  Heaven,  lives  in  adultery  ; 
or  of  perjury,  to  one  who  habitually  violates  truth ;  or 
of  swindling,  to  one  who  accustoms  himself  to  over- 
reaching in  little  matters.  Hence  it  is  that  he  who 
knowingly  offends  in  one  point,  is  guilty  of  disobeying 
the  authority  of  the  whole  law.  Though  the  offence 
may  be  seemingly  trivial,  the  authority  of  the  Lawgiver 
is  as  truly  discarded  as  though  it  had  been  a  palpable 
crime.  If  God  has  said,  "  Thou  shalt  not  kill,"  is  it 
not  the  same  Being  who  has  said,  "  Thou  shalt  not  hate 
thy  brother  in  thine  heart?"  If  God  has  said,  "  Thou 
shalt  not  commit  adultery,"  is  it  not  the  same  holy  Being 
who  has  specified  and  prohibited  the  adultery  of  the  eye?- 
If  God  has  said,  "  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the 


THE    WAYS    OF    THE    WORLD.  337 

Lord  thy  God  in  vain,"  has  he  not  also,  and  with  no 
less  distinctness,  declared  that  "  for  every  false  and  ma- 
licious word  men  speak  they  shall  give  account?" 

We  recoil  from  flagrant  acts  of  wickedness  ;  but  how 
obvious  is  it  that  he  who  refuses  to  surrender  his  will 
to  God,  even  in  little  matters,  betrays  the  same  want  of 
loyalty  to  Heaven  !  His  seeming  obedience  in  other 
respects  is  prompted,  not  by  a  sense  of  duty,  but  by 
expediency,  or  by  a  regard  to  his  own  selfish  interests ; 
his  morality  is  determined,  not  by  his  conscience,  but 
by  his  temperament :  other  things  being  equal,  he  may 
yet  habitually  violate  some  great  commandment  with  as 
little  compunction  as  he  now  hugs  his  secret  sin. 

It  is  not  unusual  for  those  who  may  be  indulging 
some  unchristian  passion,  or  pursuing  some  iniquitous 
course  of  conduct,  to  felicitate  themselves  that  they  have 
not  yielded  to  other  temptations  ;  and  sometimes  such 
regard  themselves  as  fair  candidates  for  heaven,  because 
they  are  not  chargeable  with  heinous  breaches  of  mo- 
rality, and  do  respect  religion  and  its  ordinances.  But 
the  Divine  law  is  uncompromising,  as  well  as  "  exceed- 
ing broad:"  "Put  her  away"  —  "Deny  thyself"  — 
"  Pluck  it  out"  — "Cut  it  off." 

Herod  did  many  things  gladly — paid  more  attention 
to  his  public  duties,  showed  more  kindness  and  com- 
passion, more  regard  for  equity,  and,  it  may  be,  for  the 
public  worship  of  God  ;  and  doubtless  hoped  by  his 
partial  reformation  to  avert  the  Divine  judgments  with 
which  John  had  threatened  him.  But  these  politic  ob- 
servances did  not  impose  on  the  Baptist:  "Put  her 
away,"  was  the  reiterated  chaige  of  the  stern  herald  of 

29 


338  THE    WAYS    OF    THE    WOKLD. 

Heaven's  vengeance.  '  In  vain  are  all  your  observances 
and  oblations,  so  long  as  you  retain  Herodias.  Repent 
of  that  sin  by  putting  her  away,  or  you  cannot  enter  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.' 

It  matters  not,  therefore,  what  one  may  do  to  propi- 
tiate Heaven,  so  long  as  he  retains  any  unlawful  gain, 
or  clings  to  any  sinful  gratification.  His  moralities  can- 
not make  amends  for  his  secret  sin,  nor  his  ceremonial 
for  his  neglect  of  private  duties.  In  the  eye  of  God's 
law,  no  one  virtue  can  be  offset  against  a  known  sin  ; 
nor  can  any  sacrifice  compensate  for  any  sinful  indul- 
gence. Obedience  it  requires,  and  nothing  short  of 
cordial,  unreserved,  uniform,  and  complete  obedience, 
can  meet  its  spiritual  demands.  He  must  indeed  be  a 
stranger  to  the  teachings  of  the  Bible,  who  presumes  to 
think  that  God's  law  can  overlook  defective  obedience, 
much  less  any  known  omission  of  duty.  Could  its  de- 
mands have  been  in  any  wise  relaxed,  the  Son  of  God 
would  not  have  been  made  the  curse  of  the  law  for  us ; 
and  yet,  though  he  died  to  render  the  pardon  of  the  sin- 
ner consistent  with  the  claims  of  a  holy  and  inviolable 
authority,  "  he  is  the  end  of  the  law  for  righteousness" 
only  to  him  "  that  believeth."  To  believe  in  him,  ne- 
cessarily implies  repentance  for  sin,  and  a  desire,  and 
aim,  and  constant  endeavor,  to  be  delivered  from  its 
power ;  and  therefore,  aside  from  all  reference  to  that 
perfect  obedience  which  the  law  requires,  no  one  can 
scripturally  regard  himself  as  a  believer  in  Christ,  who 
does  not  in  all  things  aim  to  do  as  Christ  has  com- 
manded. In  fact,  the  great  object  of  his  mission  was, 
to  unfold  the  spiritual  import  and  extent  of  the  law  —  to 


THE    WAYS    OF    THE    WORLD.  339 

illustrate  its  purity,  and  enforce  its  authority  ;  and  noth- 
ing is  more  evident,  from  the  whole  tenor  of  his  teach- 
ings, than  the  superiority  of  moral  conduct  required 
of  those  who  profess  to  believe  in  him  and  hope  in 
his  salvation.  If  a  man  will  not  examine  himself  in 
the  light  of  Christ's  requirements,  he  may  easily  deceive 
himself  as  to  his  true  character ;  but  if  he  will,  he  may 
as  easily  ascertain  wherein  he  is  still  grossly  culpable, 
or  what  may  be  his  besetting  sin.  There  is  but  one 
method  by  which  any  man  can  come  to  a  knowledge  of 
his  moral  self;  and  should  its  adoption  not  lead  to  so 
important  a  result,  it  will  be  owing,  not  to  a  want  of 
scriptural  criteria  of  character,  but  solely  to  the  absence 
of  that  humility  and  candor  with  which  the  work  of  self- 
examination  should  be  prosecuted. 

He  who  would  promote  his  spiritual  well-being  by 
growing  conformity  of  heart  and  life  to  the  requisitions 
of  duty,  will  not  be  backward  to  scrutinize  his  motives  as 
well  as  his  actions.  He  may  say  to  himself :  '  Though 
I  may  not  be  addicted  to  any  vices,  nor  chargeable  with 
either  dishonesty,  intemperance,  or  lewdness,  yet  am  I 
not  either  covetous  or  penurious  ?  am  I  not  ambitious, 
or  proud  and  passionate,  or  envious  and  revengeful  ? 
am  I  not  vain  of  this  possession,  or  that  acquirement  — 
fond  of  personal  display,  or  of  selfish  and  sensual  grati- 
fications ?  Though  I  am  moral,  have  I  the  evidence  of 
having  been  regenerated  by  the  Spirit  of  God?  Or,  as 
I  have  named  the  name  of  Christ,  am  I  careful  to  depart 
from  all  iniquity  —  even  to  avoid  the  appearance  of  evil  ? 
Am  I  cherishing  any  one  feeling,  or  doing  any  one 
thing,  at  variance  with  the  integrity  of  my  professed 


340  THE    WAYS    OF    THE    WORLD. 

belief  in  him  whose  example  I  am  bound  to  follow?'  — 
"  To  him  that  knoweth  to  do  good,  and  doeth  it  not, 
to  him  it  is  sin."  —  "  If  any  man  among  you  seemeth  to 
be  religious,  and  bridleth  not  his  tongue,  but  deceiveth 
his  own  heart,  that  man's  religion  is  vain."  Though  he 
conform  to  Christ's  precepts  in  every  other  respect,  that 
man's  religion  is  hypocrisy  —  his  unhridled  tongue  be- 
trays him  !  The  man  in  the  parable  who  received  the 
one  talent  was  neither  a  thief  nor  a  murderer,  nor  had 
he  wasted  his  lord's  goods  :  he  pleaded  that  he  had  done 
no  harm  ;  but  he  was  negligent  and  slothful,  and,  being 
an  unprofitable  servant,  he  was  condemned  to  outer 
darkness ! 

In  asserting,  however,  that  indulgence  in  any  known 
sin  is  incompatible  with  a  scriptural  hope  in  the  Divine 
favor,  I  do  not  refer  to  those  who  live  in  lack  of  knowl- 
edge—  though  such,  when  their  eye  is  opened,  and  their 
heart  changed,  mourn  over  their  sins  of  ignorance  ;  nor 
do  I  allude  to  the  temptations  of  Christians  :  they  are 
sometimes  suddenly  overcome,  —  though  they  humble 
and  abhor  themselves  whenever  thus  surprised  into 
sin,  and  are  led  to  greater  watchfulness  and  prayer. 
I  have  reference  solely  to  known  sins — to  things  neg- 
lected and  things  done  which  we  know,  and,  whenever 
we  can  be  induced  to  reflect  with  calmness,  feel,  to  be 
wrong;  and  if  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  "every 
one  of  us  shall  give  account  of  himself  to  God,"  no  one 
can  be  too  solicitous  to  ascertain  how  stands  his  reclwn- 
ing  with  the  high  and  holy  One ! 

Is  there  an  Herodias  whom  he  will  not  put  away? 
Then  he  denies  God's  authority,  and  stands  convicted 


THE    WAYS    OF    THE    WORLD.  341 

of  deliberate  rebellion  against  God  !  Though  he  may 
be  free  from  outward  vices,  or  regular  in  his  devotions, 
yet,  if  there  is  any  sinful  indulgence  he  will  not  foreo-o 
—  any  cross  he  will  not  take  up  for  Christ's  sake  —  it  is 
clear  that  he  loves  the  interests  of  self  more  than  the 
honor  of  Christ,  and  therefore  cannot  be  his  disciple. 
Nay,  if  there  be  one  duty  which  he  knowingly  omits  — 
one  sin  which  he  knowingly  cherishes,  this  single  com- 
mission, or  that  single  omission  —  as  the  word  of  the 
Lord  abideth  —  shall,  except  he  repent,  be  his  ruin  !  It 
is  an  offending  member ;  and,  if  it  be  not  cut  off,  it  will 
cast  him  into  hell  I 

To  demur  at  this  conclusion,  is  to  convict  one's  self 
of  being  actuated  by  that  carnal  mind  which  is  enmity 
against  God  —  which,  until  renewed  by  the  Spirit  of 
God,  is  always  pertinaciously  reluctant  to  submit  to  his 
authority.  Hence,  it  is  as  certain  as  that  God  is  holy 
and  man  a  sinner,  either  God  must  change  or  man  sub- 
mit. Though  his  sin  be  dear  to  him  as  "  the  apple  of 
his  eye,"  he  must  put  it  away  by  repentance,  or  he  can- 
not be  saved. 

29* 


34S  THE    DYING   PENITENT. 


THE  DYING  PENITENT. 

In  the  closing  scene  of  our  Saviour's  life,  various 
circumstances  unite  to  render  his  death  at  once  the 
most  painful  and  humiliating.  He  is  betrayed  by  a  kiss 
—  deserted  by  his  friends  —  condemned  by  false  wit- 
nesses. He  is  mocked,  buffeted,  scourged,  spit  upon  — 
crov^^ned  with  thorns  —  compelled  to  bear  his  own  cross  : 
and  now,  he  is  suspended  on  the  cross  between  two 
malefactors,  and  thus  held  up  to  universal  scorn. 

But  these  circumstances  of  suffering  and  ignominy, 
as  has  been  often  observed,  served  to  invest  his  person 
with  transcendent  radiance  —  to  attest  the  divinity  of  his 
life,  and  the  glory  of  his  death.  Meekness  is  opposed 
to  insult,  patience  to  suffering,  and  tenderness  to  cruelty. 
In  proportion  to  the  depth  of  his  own  woes,  is  his  com- 
passion for  others  —  to  the  ignominy  of  the  cross,  is  the 
grandeur  of  the  victim  —  to  the  degradation  of  the  man, 
is  the  exaltation  of  the  God ! 

We  are  limited  by  our  subject  to  a  simple  incident 
in  connection  with  the  Crucifixion  ;  but  this  by  itself 
were  sufficient  to  rebuke  all  skepticism  as  to  the  claims 
of  Jesus,  and  to  induce  a  harmony  of  view  in  relation 
to  the  whole  essential  doctrine  of  the  gospel.  Nowhere 
else  in  the  Past  can  we  meet  with  a  scene  which,  while 


THE    DYING    PENITENT.  343 

it  appeals  so  forcibly  to  our  sensibilities,  conveys  such 
precious  truths  and  solemn  warnings.  If  duly  weighed, 
it  must  silence  the  cavilling,  though  it  fail  to  convince  ; 
encourage  the  despairing,  and  alarm  the  procrastinating 
—  strengthen  the  Christian's  faith,  and  cheer  his  dying 
hour.  Unlike  the  incidents  in  profane  history,  it  has  a 
relation  to  our  spiritual  interests  and  deathless  aspira- 
tions ;  and  though  the  former  may  awaken  inquiries  of 
moment  to  the  philosophic  mind,  this  opens  a  train  of 
thought  in  keeping  with  the  great  end  of  God's  Revela- 
tion to  a  fallen  world — for  it  speaks  to  us  of  sin  and  of 
redemption,  of  penitence  and  of  pardon,  of  faith  and  of 
works,  of  grace  and  glory.* 

Here  is  one  who  had  lived  in  sin  ;  whose  crimes  had 
exposed  him  to  capital  punishment ;  who  in  the  estima- 
tion of  the  people  was  less  to  be  pitied  than  even  Barab- 
bas  ;  who,  according  to  his  own  acknowledgment,  was 
justly  condemned  to  death ;  and  who  at  first  probably 
joined  with  his  companion  in  crime,  and  with  the  hard- 
ened Jews,  in  reviling  Jesus. 

Luke  does  not  advert  to  this  circumstance ;  but  the 
other  evangelists,  after  recording  the  vituperative  lan- 
guage which  the  scribes  and  elders  used  toward  the  suf- 
fering Jesus,  distinctly  state  that  "  the  thieves  also  which 
were  crucified  with  him,  cast  the  same  in  his  teeth." 
The  manner  in  which  this  fact  is  spoken  of  by  the  dif- 
ferent writers  is,  however,  simply  one  of  many  instances 
which  might  be  adduced  in  evidence,  that  they  were 
guilty  of  no  collusion  ;  and  it  is  this  which  secures  to 
their  respective  narratives  the  strongest  argument  in 
*  Luke  xxiii.  42,  43. 


344  THE    DYING    PENITENT. 

favor  of  their  authenticity,  that  of  substantial  truth  amid 
circumstantial  variety. 

To  my  mind,  it  is  not  improbable  that  this  malefac- 
tor, whose  case  is  so  remarkable,  was  induced  at  first  to 
accord  with  the  sentiments  of  the  chief-priests  and  elders, 
in  the  hope  that  they,  from  motives  of  party-spirit,  would 
interpose  in  his  behalf;  and  that  while  he  was  thus  mock- 
ing Jesus,  he  was  struck  with  the  conviction  that  this 
man  who  hung  by  his  side  —  suffering  with  so  much 
patience,  and  praying  for  his  murderers  —  was  indeed 
the  Son  of  God  :  as  there  have  been  occasional  instances 
of  wicked  men  being  transfixed  with  remorse  and  dread, 
just  as  some  horrid  blasphemy  had  escaped  their  lips. 

Some  have  supposed  that  the  change  in  his  mind  was 
caused  by  the  fear  of  death.  But  if  that  alone  could 
have  influenced  his  feelings,  he  would  have  awaked  to 
a  sense  of  his  condition  during  the  interval  that  elapsed 
between  his  sentence  and  his  execution.  The  signs  of 
true  penitence  are  not  to  be  looked  for  in  the  case  of 
one  who  is  undergoing  the  penalty  of  violated  law. 

Nor  is  it  probable  that  his  confession  of  guilt  sprung 
from  interested  motives.  It  was  too  late  to  hope  for  a 
pardon  ;  while  his  acknowledgment  of  Christ's  innocence 
could  have  served  only  to  exasperate  his  judges. 

Or,  that  his  confession  was  extorted  by  physical  suf- 
fering, is  a  supposition  equally  unreasonable.  His  lan- 
guage is  indicative  of  clear  thought  and  dispassionate 
conviction.  Realizing  the  justness  of  his  punishment, 
he  takes  shame  to  himself  for  his  crimes.  Convinced 
of  the  Saviour's  innocence,  he  rebukes  the  raillery  of 
his  companion  —  virtually  saying  to  him,  that,  as  they 


THE    DYING    PENITENT.  345 

are  suffering  the  same  punishment,  they  should  compas- 
sionate one  another ;  that  as  he  will  shortly  stand  before 
God  in  judgment,  it  behooves  him  to  think  of  other 
things  than  reviling  an  innocent  man  :  "  Dost  thou  not 
fear  God,  seeing  thou  art  in  the  same  condemnation  ? 
And  we  indeed  justly  ;  for  we  receive  the  due  reward 
of  our  deeds  :  but  this  man  hath  done  nothing  amiss." 
And  then,  turning  to  Jesus,  he  said,  "  Lord,  remember 
me  when  thou  comest  into  thy  kingdom  :"  feeling  him- 
self to  be  unworthy  of  his  regard,  all  he  asks  is,  one 
kind  remembrance  ;  that  Christ  would  deign  to  think  of 
him  —  a  poor,  lost  sinner  ! 

Here  is  an  humble  confession  of  guilt  and  ill  desert ; 
a  proper  rebuke  of  iniquity ;  an  exhortation  to  a  fellow- 
sinner  to  fear  God  and  prepare  to  die  ;  a  fearless  vindi- 
cation of  Christ's  character ;  a  heartfelt  homage  to  his 
majesty  ;  a  perception  of  the  spirituality  of  his  kingdom, 
and  confidence  in  his  power  to  save.  He  who  was 
condemned  as  a  malefactor,  and  is  now  expiring  amid 
the  tortures  of  the  crucifixion,  feels  and  speaks  as  a 
Christian  ! 

So  striking  is  the  moral  change  which  he  has  under- 
gone, that,  unless  we  experience  the  same  —  no  matter 
what  has  been  our  past  character,  however  amiable  our 
disposition  and  exemplary  our  conduct — we  cannot  en- 
ter the  kingdom  of  heaven  :  for,  "  except  a  man  be  born 
again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God."  So  decided 
are  the  evidences  of  his  conversion  to  God,  that  unless 
we  can  present  essentially  the  same,  we  have  no  scrip- 
tural reason  for  believing  that  we  have  been  renewed  by 
the  Holy  Spirit. 


346  THE    DYING    PENITENT. 

If,  in  his  last  hour,  this  man  showed  his  faith  by  his 
works,  it  is  evident  that  faith,  under  any  circumstances, 
without  works,  is  dead.  He  is  as  different  from  his 
former  self  as  from  his  partner  in  condemnation.  That 
heart  so  lately  hardened  by  crime,  is  now  dissolved  in 
grief;  those  lips  so  lately  filled  with  cursing  and  bitter- 
ness, now  open  in  accents  of  confession.  While  the 
other  blasphemes,  he  prays  ;  while  the  other  responds 
to  the  cruel  mockings  of  the  Jews,  he  fearlessly  bears 
witness  to  the  Saviour's  innocence ;  while  the  other 
braves  the  thought  of  death  and  eternity,  he  feels  his 
need  of  mercy,  and  humbly  sues  for  a  place  in  his 
remembrance  who,  with  himself,  is  in  a  moment  to  give 
up  the  ghost ! 

Wonderful  transformation  !  most  mysterious  faith  ! 
Throughout  the  evangelic  records,  I  know  of  nothing 
that  surprises  me  more  than  the  conversion  of  this  man  ; 
that  under  circumstances  so  adverse,  he  should  exhibit 
such  a  power  and  reach  of  faith  —  such  spirituality  of 
mind  ! 

What  a  spectacle  this,  for  Christ's  disciples! — to 
see  one  of  the  thieves  that  are  crucified  with  him, 
brought  to  a  sense  of  his  sins  —  putting  his  trust  in  the 
Lord  their  God  —  longing  for  a  better  country,  even  a 
heavenly  ;  and  to  see  Christ,  from  the  cross,  "  as  from 
a  throne,  dispensing  pardons,  and  disposing  of  seats  in 
Paradise !" 

But  our  imagination  has  ascribed  to  the  disciples 
views  and  emotions  to  which  they  were  strangers. 
Though  they  had  walked  with  Jesus  in  sweet  compan- 
ionship, and  hung  on  his  lips  of  wisdom,  and  witnessed 


THE    DYING    PENITEXT,  347 

his  wonderful  works,  and  seen  him  transfigured  on  the 
Mount,  and  heard  a  voice  from  the  excellent  glory,  de- 
claring him  to  be  the  Son  of  God ;  though  it  had  been 
repeatedly  intimated  to  them  that  the  Son  of  man  would 
be  betrayed  and  crucified,  that  by  his  resurrection  he 
might  be  declared  the  Son  of  God  with  power  ;  though 
they  had  been  cautioned  against  the  fear  of  man,  and 
strengthened  against  the  day  of  trial ;  and  had  even 
declared  that  they  would  be  true  to  Christ:  yet  now  — 
where  are  they? 

Among  all  who  followed  Jesus,  not  one  is  there  to 
attest  his  innocence.  Strange  to  tell,  though  so  many 
had  believed  on  him  when  they  saw  his  mighty  works, 
and  had  left  all  to  follow  him,  yet  the  only  one  from 
v%^hom  Jesus  hears  a  word  in  his  behalf,  is  a  dying  thief! 
The  disciples  have  all  fled.  The  moment  Christ  was 
led  fortli  to  be  crucified,  darkness,  as  of  death,  came 
over  the  prospects  which  had  so  lately  ravished  their 
hearts  :  they  gave  up  all  for  lost !  Nor  is  this  to  be 
wondered  at.  What  could  have  been  so  contrary  to 
their  views,  and  abhorrent  from  their  feelings,  as  that  he 
whom  they  had  believed  to  be  the  Son  of  God,  should 
be  condemned  as  a  culprit  at  Pilate's  bar?  that  he  whom 
they  had  fondly  hoped  would  redeem  Israel,  should  be 
crucified  between  two  thieves  ?  Methinks  the  idea 
might  have  been  most  naturally  forced  on  their  minds, 
that  had  he  been  indeed  the  Christ,  he  would  have  pal- 
sied the  perjured  tongues  that  witnessed  against  him,  or 
withered  the  arm  that  was  raised  to  nail  him  to  the 
cross.  To  see  their  blessed  Master  the  object  of  scorn, 
the  victim  of  maliop  !   tn  tliink   tbnt   God  would   permit 


348  THE    DYING    PENITENT. 

such  an  outrage  on  justice  and  humanity  —  his  beloved 
Son  to  be  thus  by  wicked  hands  crucified  and  slain  !  — 
must  have  been  a  trial  to  their  faith  of  which  we  can 
form  but  a  feeble  conception. 

But  the  thief,  though  he  had  been  no  follower  of 
Christ,  at  once  saw  through  the  mystery  of  the  cross, 
and  beheld,  in  the  victim  of  hellish  cruelty,  the  Lamb 
of  God  !  in  the  despised  and  deserted  man,  the  Lord 
of  glory  !  in  the  suffering,  bleeding,  dying  Jesus,  the 
true  God  and  eternal  life  !  Was  faith  ever  more  di- 
rectly opposed  to  sense  ?  Could  faith  be  put  to  a  severer 
trial,  or  effect  a  more  resplendent  triumph? 

Moreover,  the  disciples  had  but  little  if  any  concep- 
tion of  a  spiritual  kingdom.  In  common  with  their 
nation,  and  notwithstanding  Christ's  instructions  to  them, 
they  looked  on  the  "  Messiah  that  should  come"  as  a 
temporal  prince  and  deliverer  :  for  this  reason  they,  with 
the  chief  priests,  might  have  thought  that,  had  he  been 
the  promised  Messiah,  "  he  would  have  saved  himself, 
and  come  down  from  the  cross." 

But  the  thief  discerned  at  once  the  true  nature  of  the 
kingdom  of  God  :  he  knew  that  though  Christ  would 
not  get  down  from  the  cross,  he  would  come  up  from 
the  dead.  To  his  spiritual  eye,  he  whom  demons  in 
human  shape  now  execrate,  will  soon  be  adored  by  ho- 
liest angels  :  that  reed  will  be  exchanged  for  the  sceptre 
of  the  universe  ;  that  platted  crown  of  thorns,  for  the 
diadem  of  the  skies  ;  that  ignominious  cross,  for  a  throne 
of  eternal  glory  ! 

It  was  the  sufferings  of  Christ  that  caused  the  disci- 
ples to  doubt  his  Messiahship  ;  and   it  was  these  same 


THE    DYING   PENITENT.  349 

sufferings,  also,  that  led  the  thief  to  believe  that  Christ 
was  indeed  the  Son  of  God  —  the  King  of  Israel! 
Such  patience  under  sufferings  the  most  grievous  ;  such 
meekness  under  injuries  and  insults  the  most  wanton  ; 
such  unrepining  submission  to  the  will  of  his  heavenly 
Father  ;  such  irrepressible  compassion  for  his  enemies 
—  such  a  prayer  for  their  forgiveness  !  —  surely  this  man 
is  neither  a  malefactor  nor  an  impostor.  '  No  ;  though 
others  may  desert  or  revile  thee,  I  believe  that  thou  art 
the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  most  high  God  !  Dying  as 
I  am,  and  justly  for  my  crimes,  I  would  trust  my  soul 
to  thee.  Tell  me  only  that  thou,  Lord,  wilt  think  of 
me  when  thou  comest  into  thy  kingdom,  and  I  die  in 
peace !' 

How  are  we  to  account  for  this  singular  conversion? 
Will  it  be  said  that  the  thief  was  previously  acquainted 
with  Christ's  character,  and  with  the  design  of  his  mis- 
sion ?  Being  a  Jew,  he  might  have  had  some  general 
knowledge  of  the  ancient  prophecies  of  his  nation  re- 
specting the  coming  Messiah  ;  but  while  the  faith  of  the 
disciples  w^as  staggered  by  the  cross,  is  it  probable  that 
one  who  had  never  followed  Jesus  as  the  Christ,  would 
suddenly  recognise  in  a  condemned  and  dying  man  — 
his  fellow-sufferer  on  the  cross  —  the  subject  of  proph- 
ecy, and  the  fulfilment  of  the  promise  ?  Or,  he  might 
have  heard  of  the  doctrines  which  Christ  had  promulged, 
and  of  the  miracles  which  he  had  wrought ;  but  is  it 
probable  that  a  man  of  his  character,  whose  associates 
must  have  been  among  the  vilest  of  the  people,  had  ac- 
credited any  other  reports  respecting  Christ  than  such 
as  his  enemies  had  circulated  ? 

30 


350  THE    DYING    PENITENT. 

Giving,  however,  to  these  considerations  all  the  weight 
which  any  might  contend  for,  why  had  they  not  an  equal 
influence  over  the  feelings  of  the  other  thief?  He  also 
was  a  Jew,  and  had  probably  the  same  educational  im- 
pressions, with  equal  facilities  for  ascertaining  the  truth. 

Is  it  suggested  that  the  one  had  more  natural  sensi- 
bility and  more  candor  than  the  other?  This  might  ac- 
count for  the  penitent  thief's  acknowledgment  of  Christ's 
innocence,  and  his  own  compassion  for  suffering  virtue 
—  for  his  consciousness  and  confession  of  ill  desert ;  but 
what  connection  there  can  be  between  any  natural  qual- 
ities, and  a  perception,  under  the  circumstances  in  which 
he  was  placed,  of  Christ's  divinity,  together  with  implicit 
trust  in  his  atoning  mediation,  and  his  ability  to  confer 
everlasting  happiness,  is  too  impalpable  to  be  explained, 
if  it  could  be  apprehended. 

The  fact  is,  no  external  difference  can  be  discerned 
in  the  relative  position  of  these  two  malefactors  ;  no  ad- 
vantage in  the  one  case  that  was  not  enjoyed  by  the 
other  ;  no  obstacle  to  the  one  that  did  not  equally  oppose 
the  conversion  of  the  other.  The  same  by  birth  and 
education  —  the  same  in  crime  and  condemnation — the 
one  could  have  had  no  national  views  in  which  the 
other  did  not  share  ;  no  love  of  vice,  no  aversion  from 
goodness,  no  recklessness  of  consequences,  which  did 
not  naturally  result  from  the  habits  of  the  other.  Sus- 
pended on  either  side  of  the  cross  to  which  the  Saviour 
was  nailed,  they  both  knew  that  their  days  were  num- 
bered ;  and  the  one  as  well  as  the  other  had  the  same 
opportunity  of  knowing  that  Jesus  had  done  nothing 
amiss.    If  the  one  feared  God,  so  might  the  other.    If  the 


THE    DYING    PENITENT.  351 

one  confessed  his  sins,  and  felt  his  need  of  mercy  —  if 
he  believed  Christ  to  be  the  Lord  of  life,  and  believed 
on  him  with  the  heart  unto  righteousness  —  what  was 
there  to  prevent  the  other?  And  yet,  in  neither  case, 
was  there  any  probability  of  unfeigned  sorrow  for  sin, 
—  much  less  of  heartfelt  faith  in  the  suffering  Jesus. 
Granting  to  both  all  those  powers  which  constitute  free 
moral  agency  ;  say  that  they  both  believed  in  a  future 
state  of  rewards  and  punishments,  and  both  felt  how 
unprepared  they  were  to  die,  —  is  it  not  abstractly  most 
improbable  that  either  of  them,  of  himself,  should  turn 
to  one  who,  like  themselves,  had  been  condemned  as  a 
malefactor — whom  the  Jews  were  insulting  and  deri- 
ding in  every  possible  way  —  whose  extremity  of  suffer- 
ing and  humiliation  seemed  to  be  a  fearful  refutation  of 
his  claims  to  the  Messiahship  —  and  embrace  him  as  the 
Saviour  of  lost  sinners? 

Unable,  therefore,  to  account  for  his  conversion  on 
secondary  principles,  we  refer  it  directly  to  the  interpo- 
sition of  Almighty  grace.  As  we  cannot  doubt  the  truth 
of  the  narrative,  no  more  can  we  hesitate  to  admit  the 
hand  of  God  in  this  conversion.  In  such  a  case,  to 
withhold  our  credence  in  the  special  agency  of  his  Holy 
Spirit — enlightening  the  mind  of  that  poor  thief  with 
the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  changing  his  heart,  and  fit- 
ting him  for  heaven  —  would  be  to  do  discredit  to  the 
inspired  record. 

There  was  nothing  in  the  past  life  of  the  one,  more 
than  of  the  other,  to  recommend  him  to  the  favor  of 
God.  In  neither  case  was  there  any  claim  on  the  Di- 
vine mercy  :  both  had  alike  forfeited  their  lives,  at  once 


352  THE    DYING    PENITENT. 

to  tlie  law  of  man  and  to  the  law  of  God  ;  both,  for  their 
sins,  deserved  eternal  death,  as  for  their  crimes  they  were 
legally  suffering  puni?hment.  Had  both  died  in  their 
sins,  neither  could  have  impeached  the  justice  of  God  ; 
and  that  one  of  two  men,  equally  criminal,  was  in  this, 
the  last  hour  of  his  life,  brought  to  repentance  and  faith, 
only  serves  to  pi-ove  that  "  God  has  mercy  on  whom  he 
will  have  mercy."  Yes  ;  had  it  not  been  for  the  grace 
of  God,  that  one,  like  his  partner  in  crime,  would  have 
died  reviling  the  meek  and  lowly  Jesus. 

Such  an  instance  seems  designed  to  teach  us  that  the 
Gospel  is  a  dispensation  of  grace  ;  that  none  of  our 
fallen  race  have  a  claim  on  the  mercy  of  God  ;  and  that 
if  any  are  saved,  the  praise  of  their  salvation  must 
redound  to  the  riches  of  his  grace  through  Jesus  Christ. 

From  the  adaptedness  of  God's  word  and  ordinances 
to  the  conversion  of  sinners,  we  are  apt  to  ascribe  to 
the  means  of  grace  an  efficiency  which  belongs  exclu- 
sively to  a  Divine  agent :  hence,  some  have  denied  the 
necessity  of  any  special  influence  of  God's  Spirit  in 
man's  conversion  —  even  as  others,  from  the  operation 
of  second  causes  in  the  material  world,  have  denied  a 
particular  providence.  The  ordinary  course  of  events 
fails  to  arrest  attention  :  it  is  only  instances  of  an  ex- 
traordinary nature  that  strike  the  mind,  and  these  lead 
us  at  once  and  involuntarily  to  refer  our  unexpected 
deliverance  from  some  temporal  ill,  or  our  unexpected 
success  in  life,  to  the  beneficent  interposition  of  a  higher 
agency  than  man  can  exert.  So,  lest  man  should  take 
the  praise  of  his  conversion  to  himself — that  we  might 
be  led  to  adore  Him  as  the  author  and  finisher,  as  well 


THE    DYING    PENITENT.  353 

as  the  revealer  of  our  faith  —  in  the  instance  before  us 
he  has,  as  it  were,  drawn  aside  the  veil  which  con- 
ceals from  our  view  the  ordinary  operations  of  his  Spirit, 
and  disclosed  himself  to  us,  in  all  the  fulness  and  free- 
ness  of  his  sovereign  and  omnipotent  grace. 

But  how  illustrious  does  Christ  appear  in  his  ansiver 
to  the  penitent's  supplication  !  Let  the  skeptic  calmly 
ask  himself  whether  Jesus  Christ,  when  he  hung  in 
ignominy  and  agony  on  the  cross,  could  have  ventured 
to  pardon  a  dying  malefactor,  and  to  assure  him  that  he 
should  that  day  be  with  himself  in  Paradise,  had  he  not 
been  the  co-eternal,  co-equal  Son  of  God.  Under  cir- 
cumstances so  trying  to  flesh  and  blood,  so  appalling  to 
the  heart  of  man,  even  when  fortified  by  the  conscious- 
ness of  integrity,  was  it  possible  for  him,  unless  indeed 
the  Christ,  to  maintain  the  character  which  he  had  pre- 
viously exhibited  ? 

See  the  blessed  Jesus !  —  his  hands  are  spiked  to  the 
arms  of  that  cross  :  a  spear  has  been  thrust  into  his  side  ; 
and  now  his  enemies  wag  their  heads,  and  point  at  him 
the  finger  of  scorn,  and,  with  a  hellish  laugh,  bid  him 
save  himself;  or,  bowing  before  him  in  mock  obsequi- 
ousness, cry  —  "Hail,  king  of  the  Jews!" 

Was  there  ever  such  an  accumulation  of  woes  on  a 
being  so  innocent  ?  Were  fouler  insults  ever  added  to 
pain  so  excruciating?  We  cannot  recall  the  treatment 
he  received  without  feelings  of  the  keenest  indignation  ; 
and  yet,  amid  all  these  circumstances,  exasperating  to 
the  last  degree,  the  innocent  sufferer  is  neither  roused 
to  anger,  nor  dead  to  compassion. 

30* 


354  THE    DYING    PENITENT. 

To  be  unjustly  condemned,  yet  to  submit  without  a 
murmur  ;  to  be  mocked,  yet  to  maintain  the  meekest 
silence  ;  to  be  dying  in  physical  torture,  yet  to  triumph 
over  human  weaknesses  without  betraying  any  insensi- 
bility ;  to  be  crucified  between  two  thieves,  and  to  pray 
for  the  forgiveness  of  the  one  who  reviled  him,  and  to 
confer  an  assurance  of  immortal  blessedness  on  the 
other  who  besought  his  remembrance — O  ye  who  would 
do  homage  to  greatness,  render  it  to  the  cmcijied 
Jesus  ! 

In  view  of  such  a  scene,  who  can  doubt  that  Christ 
died  for  sinners?  What  but  compassion  for  the  souls 
of  men,  could  have  sustained  him  amid  his  sufferings, 
and  borne  him  above  insult  and  ignominy  ?  In  the 
agonies  of  his  own  death,  to  have  communicated  spir- 
itual life,  who  is  this,  but  the  only-begotten  of  the  Father, 
full  of  grace  and  truth?  For  what  end  could  he  have 
stooped  to  earth,  and  taken  the  form  of  a  servant,  and 
exposed  himself  to  suffering  and  the  cross,  but  that  man 
might  be  delivered  from  the  bitter  pains  of  eternal  death  ? 
While  pain  racked  his  frame,  and  eyes  bespeaking  ma- 
licious joy  stared  him  in  the  face  —  then,  to  have  lis- 
tened to  the  cry  of  penitence  —  O  love  ineffable,  match- 
less, boundless,  godlike  !  While  all  the  powers  of  earth 
and  hell  seemed  to  triumph  over  him,  his  grace  triumphed 
over  sin  and  death  ! 

But  that  God  who  displayed  his  sovereign  mercy  in 
the  case  of  the  thief  on  the  cross,  still  reigns  ;  that 
Saviour  who  answered  to  his  cry,  now  lives  to  intercede 
for  sinners  ;  and  that  Spirit  who  brought  him  to  feel  his 


THE    DYING    PENITENT.  355 

need  of  mercy,  still  exercises  his  prerogative  in  bringing 
men  to  a  sense  of  sin,  and  of  righteousness,  and  of 
judgment.  Every  Christian  has  reason  to  admire  the 
free  grace  of  God  in  his  own  conversion  ;  while  there 
is  scarce  one  who  has  not,  at  some  period  of  his  history, 
been  rebuked  for  his  presumption  in  limiting  God's  mer- 
cy. The  clearer  our  views  of  the  nature  of  sin,  and  the 
deeper  our  conviction  of  God's  holiness  and  justice,  the 
more  apt  are  we  to  doubt  the  possibility  of  true  repent- 
ance in  the  last  hour  of  a  life  which  had  been  devoted 
to  the  world.  Yet  such  are  the  cases  which  God  some- 
times selects  to  show  forth  the  exceeding  fulness  and 
freeness  of  his  grace.  Who  would  have  anticipated  the 
prodigal's  return  to  his  father?  Who  would  have  sup- 
posed that  the  blasphemous  and  persecuting  Saul  of 
Tarsus  could  obtain  mercy  ?  Much  less,  that  a  felon, 
while  in  the  act  of  expiating  his  crimes  by  his  life's 
blood,  would  obtain  the  promise  of  eternal  life  ;  while 
dying  in  shame  and  agony,  be  filled  with  joy  unspeak- 
able and  full  of  glory  !  But  so  have  I  seen  a  youth 
brought  to  repentance,  when  he  seemed  to  have  been 
abandoned  of  God  and  lost  to  hope ;  and  even  the  man 
of  threescore  years  and  ten,  brought  to  hope  in  God's 
mercy,  just  as  the  near  approach  of  death  had  awakened 
him  to  an  appalling  sense  of  his  undone  condition.  We 
need  not,  however,  multiply  instances  of  the  kind  :  God 
has  proclaimed  himself  to  be,  and  he  is  now,  "  merciful 
and  gracious,  long-suffering,  and  abundant  in  goodness 
and  truth." 

If,  therefore,  the  most  reckless  have  at  times  been 
arrested  —  if  the  grace  of  God  has  sometimes  poured 


356  THE    DYING   PENITENT. 

the  light  and  joy  of  heaven  on  the  soul  which  but  a  me- 
ment  since  was  transfixed  with  the  dread  of  an  unpre- 
pared eternity  —  how  much  more  shall  they  receive 
mercy  who  are  seeking  Him  sorrowing! 

Every  instance  of  conversion  seems  to  intimate  that 
neither  wickedness  can  frustrate  nor  moralities  conciliate 
His  grace.  To  God  must  be  ascribed  all  the  glory  of 
man's  conversion.  Hence,  he  who  is  given  up  by  man, 
is  sometimes  received  by  God.  Hence  the  instances 
where  grace  has  triumphed  in  the  last  hour  of  a  wicked 
life.  Hence,  the  thoughtless  worldling  and  the  jeering 
infidel  are  often  arrested,  while  the  moralist  and  the 
formalist  are  in  general  left  to  their  own  righteousness. 

If  I  am  inclined  to  despair  of  any  one,  it  is  not  of 
him  whose  mind  is  given  up  to  the  pursuits  of  the  world, 
or  whose  heart  has  been  seduced  by  the  pleasures  of 
sense  ;  not  of  him  whose  life  is  deformed  by  vice,  or 
whose  crimes  have  even  rendered  him  obnoxious  to 
civil  justice  :  it  is  of  him  rather  who  boasts  of  his  mo- 
ralities, and  is  hoping  by  his  Pharisaism  to  recommend 
himself  to  the  Divine  favor. 

Let  me  be  called  to  visit  the  death-bed  of  any  one 
rather  than  that  of  the  self-righteous.  Such  a  one  will 
cling  to  the  delusive  mantle  of  his  own  weaving,  and 
expect  to  be  saved  because  he  was  an  honest  man,  a 
good  citizen,  a  kind  neighbor,  or  an  affectionate  parent. 
It  matters  not  how  wicked  may  have  been  one's  life  — 
let  me  see  him  smitten  with  a  sense  of  his  sins,  and  hear 
him  cry  for  mercy,  even  as  a  criminal  pleading  for  his 
life,  and  I  have  hope  concerning  that  poor  sinner.  Only 
let  me  see  him  at  last  relying  with  an  humble,  affectionate, 


THE    DYING    PENITENT.  357 

childlike  reliance  on  the  mercy  of  God  through  Jesus 
Christ,  and  I  can  believe  that  before  the  going  down  of 
his  last  sun  on  earth,  his  soul  will  be  imparadised  with 
Jesus. 

Let  it  not  be  said  that  we  disparage  virtue  and  en- 
courage vice.  Remember  the  declaration  of  Christ  him- 
self:  "  I  came  not  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners,  to 
repentance."  As  it  is  difficuh  to  insist  on  faith  in  Christ 
as  the  only  ground  of  man's  salvation,  without  giving 
occasion  for  the  perversion  of  this  doctrine — that  the 
gospel  tends  to  licentiousness — so  is  it  equally  difficult 
to  extol  the  mercy  and  grace  of  God  without  giving 
occasion  for  unwarranted  hopes  —  to  guard  the  mind 
against  despair,  on  the  one  hand,  without  leading  to 
presumption  on  the  other. 

But  this  case  constitutes  an  argument  not  less  weighty 
against  presumption  during  life,  than  despair  in  the  hour 
of  death.  View  it  in  whatever  light,  it  is  most  peculiar. 
It  was  designed  to  honor  an  extraordinary  occasion,  and 
therefore  cannot  be  legitimately  viewed  as  a  precedent. 
It  was  a  moral  miracle,  wrought  to  attest  the  sovereignty 
and  freeness  of  God's  grace  —  the  efficacy  of  Christ's 
atoning  blood  —  the  omnipotency  of  his  saving  arm; 
and  therefore  there  can  be  deduced  from  it  no  encour- 
agement whatever  —  not  the  shadow  of  a  reason  for  de- 
laying repentance  to  a  dying  hour.  Like  the  conversion 
of  Saul  of  Tarsus,  though  it  proves  that  God  may  at 
any  time  arrest  a  sinner,  and  that  no  true  penitent 
should  at  any  time  despair  of  the  Divine  forgiveness, 
yet  it  in  no  wise  invalidates  the  necessity  of  using  those 
means  of  grace  which  God  has  instituted ;  nor  affords 


358  THE    DYING    PENITENT. 

any  ground  for  the  presumption  that,  in  his  own  time 
and  way,  God  will  arrest  the  man  who  persists  in  de- 
spising his  forbearance.  Let  it  be  recollected  that  Saul 
sinned  "  ignorantly  in  unbelief;"  and  that  the  dying 
thief  had  not  knowingly  rejected  the  Messiah,  nor  de- 
liberately procrastinated  repentance. 

Moreover,  it  should  be  considered  that,  among  all  the 
conversions  recorded  in  the  Scriptures,  this  is  the  only 
instance  of  one  having  been  brought  to  repentance  in 
the  last  hour  of  his  life.  If  this  be  the  most  suitable 
time,  why  were  not  other  instances  recorded?  Why 
did  the  apostles  preach  to  any,  save  the  sick  and  the 
dying?  Why  so  many  cautions  against  delay?  —  so 
many  solemn  allusions  to  the  shortness,  the  uncertainty 
of  time  —  the  danger  of  hardening  the  heart,  of  grieving 
the  Spirit,  of  treasuring  up  wrath  against  the  day  of 
wrath,  by  despising  the  riches  of  God's  goodness?  — 
to  the  aggravated  guilt  of  neglecting  Christ's  great  sal- 
vation ? 

It  is  not  surprising  that  but  one  instance  is  found  in 
the  word  of  God.  Cases  of  the  kind  are  so  rare,  that 
they  may  be  regarded  as  strictly  extraordinary.  Worldly 
men,  when  brought  down  to  the  gates  of  death,  do  often 
think.of  the  interests  of  their  souls  ;  but  it  is  in  general 
only  to  regret  that  they  have  neglected  their  inestimable 
privileges  ;  it  is  to  feel  that,  by  procrastination,  they  have 
committed  a  mistake  which  may  be  irreparable  —  to 
awake  to  the  conviction  that  the  very  time  to  which  they 
postponed  their  repentance,  is  the  most  unsuitable  time 
for  a  work  on  which  such  momentous  consequences 
depend ! 


THE    DYING   PENITENT.  359 

Be  it  so,  that  the  dying  sinner  does  sometimes  betray- 
no  fear  of  death,  and  again  that  he  expresses  a  willing- 
ness to  die  ;  but  these  mental  states  may  result  from  the 
influence  of  mortal  disease  on  his  faculties  and  sensi- 
bilities. Or  admitting,  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  that 
he  has  found  relief  from  his  fears  in  prayer  by  conse- 
crated lips,  or  in  receiving  the  consecrated  emblems  of 
the  Saviour's  dying  love  —  how  different  is  such  a  prep- 
aration for  death,  from  that  reyentance  which  leads  a 
dying  man  to  acknowledge  his  ill  deserts,  to  deplore  his 
sins,  and  deprecate  the  wrath  of  Heaven!  —  and,  when 
convinced  that  there  is  mercy,  even  then  to  lay  hold, 
with  a  trembling  hand,  on  the  hope  which  is  set  before 
him  in  the  gospel !  How  wide  the  difference  from  that 
faith  which  fills  the  dying  penitent  with  sentiments  of 
gratitude,  and  love,  and  praise  to  God  for  his  unmerited 
goodness  ;  which  leads  him  to  rejoice  in  the  suitableness 
and  all-sufficiency  of  a  crucified  Saviour  —  to  exhort 
surrounding  friends  to  make  their  peace  with  God,  and 
prepare  for  the  hour  of  their  own  departure  —  to  give  a 
testimony  for  Christ  in  the  presence  of  former  associates 
in  wickedness  —  to  look  away  from  earth  to  that  world 
whither  Jesus  has  gone  to  prepare  mansions  for  his  fol- 
lowers, and  to  die  with  the  assurance  that  heaven  will 
be  his  eternal  home  ! 

What  though  the  Scriptures  inform  us  that  a  notori- 
ous offender  obtained  mercy  in  his  dying  hour  —  did 
he  not  give  evidence  which  cannot  be  mistaken,  of 
repentance  and  faith  ?  Did  not  the  Saviour,  who  knew 
the  state  of  his  heart,  assure  him  of  salvation  ?  Repent- 
ance, then,  at  any  time,  is  not  a  mere  tear,  or  groan,  or 


360  THE    DYING   PENITENT. 

'  God  have  mercy ;'  faith  is  not  mere  indifference  to 
life,  or  wiUingness  to  die ;  nor  is  it  a  mere  assent  of  the 
lips.  Before  we  can  scripturally  regard  a  sinner's  death- 
bed exercises  as  the  fruits  of  God's  gracious  Spirit,  we 
must  see  substantially  the  same  evidences  of  repentance 
and  faith  that  the  dying  thief  exhibited  ;  but  how  seldom 
is  this  the  case !  And  among  those  who  unexpectedly 
recover  from  dangerous  sickness,  how  often  does  it 
happen  that  he  who  seemed  so  penitent  and  believing, 
at  once  returns,  with  returning  health,  to  the  world 
which,  on  his  sick-bed,  he  had  solemnly  renounced  for 
God! 

But  admitting  that  the  dying  hour  affords  the  most 
favorable  opportunity  for  repentance  —  where  one  has 
then  exhibited  the  evidences  of  faith  in  Jesus,  how 
many  have  been  smitten  with  some  disease  that  at  once 
precluded  all  exercise  of  thought ;  how  many  have 
showed  bhndness  of  mind  and  hardness  of  heart  —  have 
even  died  with  blasphemies  on  their  lips  ;  how  many, 
too,  have  been  cut  down  in  all  their  "  full-blown  sins," 
without  a  moment's  warning !  And  because  one  has 
been  saved  from  a  wreck,  shall  another  knowingly  ex- 
pose himself  to  the  fury  of  the  winds  and  waves  ?  What 
infatuation,  to  part  with  the  present  for  the  uncertain 
future  !  In  a  world  where  death  breaks  in  upon  us  at 
an  unexpected  moment,  to  put  off  the  concerns  of  the 
soul  to  a  dying  hour ! 

Even  though  men  should  not  be  cut  off  suddenly,  in 
general  their  death  will  correspond  with  their  life.  The 
mercy  of  God  is  not  more  to  be  admired  in  the  case  of 
one  of  the  thieves,  than  is  his  justice  to  be  dreaded  from 


THE    DVIXG    PENITENT.  361 

the  case  of  the  other.  If,  from  the  one  instance,  I  am 
encouraged  to  hojDC  that  a  life  of  wickedness  may  end 
in  a  death  of  penitence  —  so,  by  the  other,  I  am  most 
powerfully  impressed  with  the  conviction,  that,  as  men 
live,  so  will  they  die.  Even  from  the  first  instance,  I 
can  have  no  belief  in  a  dying  man's  conversion,  unless 
he  gives  some  evidence  of  his  faith  ;  and  no  heart  to 
bid  him  hope  in  God's  favor,  if  so  be  that  he  has  delib- 
erately postponed  the  work  of  repentance.  Free  as  is 
the  grace  of  God,  that  man  may  have  sinned  away  his 
day  of  grace  ;  and  God  may  have  left  him  —  as  he  did 
the  other  thief  on  the  cross  —  to  die  in  his  sins. 

But  unless  that  cross  had  been  erected,  in  vain  might 
man  have  repented  of  his  sins,  or  reformed  his  life.  Un- 
able to  satisfy  the  demands  of  justice,  there  could  have 
been  for  him  no  deliverance  from  the  curse  of  a  violated 
law  :  and  since  Christ,  by  his  death,  has  made  atone- 
ment for  the  sin  of  the  world,  what  more  proper  than 
that  his  sufferings  for  sinners  should  be  made  the  means 
of  their  sorrow  for  sin  ?  What  can  cover  the  shame  of 
the  cross,  but  that  by  it  men  should  be  led  to  abase 
themselves  and  exalt  Christ?  How  proper  that  his 
humiliation  should  thus  redound  to  his  glory ! 

But  what  more  effective  instrumentality  could  be  de- 
vised ?  We  may  be  pointed  to  the  glories  of  Paradise  ; 
but  it  can  only  serve  to  convince  us  what  we  have  lost 
by  sin  —  how  unfitted  we  are  for  its  abodes  of  purity  : 
it  cannot  inspire  us  with  hope  ;  it  may  not  even  allure 
us,  for  the  heart  of  fallen  man  knows  no  heaven  above 
the  world  in  which  its  affections  centre.  In  contrast 
with  heaven,  we  may  be  told  of  hell :  but,  though  the 
31 


362  THE    DYING    PENITENT. 

thought  of  such  unmitigated  woes  may  overwhelm  us 
with  fear,  it  cannot  wake  the  source  of  penitential  tears, 
nor  move  us  to  one  act  of  cordial  obedience.  By  such 
means,  we  cannot  be  led  to  right  views  of  our  own  char- 
acter, nor  to  proper  sentiments  toward  God.  We  may 
be  told  that  we  are  exposed  to  God's  eternal  wrath  and 
curse :  but  we  want  the  evidence  that  God  so  hates 
sin ;  or,  if  convinced  of  our  sin  and  ill  desert,  we  want 
to  know  how  we  may  regain  the  favor  of  that  holy 
God,  and  that  there  is  hope  even  for  the  chief  of  sin- 
ners. 

Hence  the  adaptedness  of  the  gospel  to  man's  charac- 
ter and  condition  as  a  fallen  being.  Nowhere  else  can 
we  gather  such  aftecting  views  of  God's  perfections,  and 
such  motives  to  repentance,  as  are  embodied  in  the  cross 
of  Christ.  See  there  the  Lamb  of  God  !  For  us  those 
hands  were  transfixed  —  that  side  pierced;  for  us  he 
endured  those  bitter  taunts  —  those  cruel  scourgings, 
and  bowed  his  head  to  the  stroke  of  death  !  Yea,  even 
that  we  might  be  delivered  from  the  curse  of  the  law, 
and  restored  to  the  Paradise  which  by  our  sins  we  had 
forfeited.  Who  can  be  unmoved  by  such  a  spectacle  ? 
Wondrous  compassion — to  suffer,  and  bleed,  and  die, 
for  sins  not  his  own  !  It  was  this  thought  that  touched 
the  flinty  heart  of  that  dying  criminal,  and  encouraged 
him  to  breathe  a  prayer  for  mercy  ;  it  is  this  that  has 
dissolved  to  penitence  and  inspired  with  trembling  hope 
the  heart  of  many  a  sinner  equally  guilty  ;  and  he  who 
cannot  be  moved  by  the  love  of  a  dying  Saviour  to  con- 
fess his  sins  and  sue  for  mercy,  may  be  already  given 
over  to  a  reprobate  mind.     It  is  vain  to  think  that  other 


THE    DYING    PENITENT.  363 

arguments  can  convince  him  of  his  guilt,  or  other  mo- 
tives woo  him  to  godly  sorrow.  Like  the  other  thief, 
by  the  very  side  of  Jesus,  he  may  seal  his  own  damna- 
tion, and  from  the  mount  of  Calvary  go  down  to  a  seven- 
fold perdition  !  As  that  cross  was  rendered  effectual  to 
the  salvation  of  one  of  the  thieves,  while  it  tended  to 
the  aggravated  condemnation  of  the  other,  so  surely  is 
the  gospel  the  savor  of  life  unto  life,  or  of  death  unto 
death. 

We  are  apt  to  wonder  that  one  of  the  thieves  could 
revile  the  blessed  Jesus  —  even  shocked  at  such  de- 
pravity. But  what  were  his  advantages  for  knowing 
Christ,  compared  with  the  advantages  of  men  at  the 
present  day,  before  whom  Christ  is  often  "  set  forth  cru- 
cified," and  who  are  so  often  urged  and  entreated  even 
by  his  "  cross  and  passion,"  to  repent  of  their  sins  ? 
How  much  greater,  then,  must  be  their  guilt  —  since, 
by  their  impenitence,  they  virtually  sanction  the  treat- 
ment which  Christ  received  from  this  malefactor ! 

Such,  however,  in  general  admit  the  Divine  authority 
of  his  mission,  and  mean  at  some  time  to  seek  his  mercy  : 
with  their  last  breath  they  hope  to  commit  themselves  to 
the  arms  of  his  love  !  Not  for  all  worlds  would  they  die 
without  an  interest  in  Christ !  Yes  ;  they  think  they 
can  live  without  him  :  but,  knowing  that  they  cannot 
safely  die  without  him,  they  mean  to  confess  him,  though 
not  now,  yet  in  time,  they  hope,  to  secure  their  safety ! 
But  what  can  equal  such  ingratitude,  save  the  folly  of 
such  a  decision  ?  What !  may  one  live  to  the  world 
until  he  can  no  longer  retain  it,  and  then  ask  for  a  place 
in  heaven?     With  hardly  less  hazard  to  his  immortal 


364  THE    DYING    PENITENT. 

interests,  hardly  less  presumption,  might  he  determine 
to  postpone  repentance  until  he  stands  a  naked  spirit 
before  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ !  If  he  will  then  say 
to  many,  ^''  Depart  from  me"  —  though  they  may  have 
eaten  and  drunk  in  his  presence,  prophesied  in  his 
name,  and  in  his  name  done  many  wonderful  works, 
how  can  any  man  on  his  death-bed  presume  on  the 
mercy  which  all  his  life  long  he  had  rejected  ? 

Though  Christ  did  remember  the  dying  thief,  that 
case  may  rise  up  in  judgment  to  condemn  the  impeni- 
tent hearer  of  the  gospel.  The  first  time  that  he  heard 
the  gospel,  he  believed  :  year  after  year  has  the  latter 
heard  both  its  invitations  and  its  warnings,  and  yet  never 
has  he  dropped  a  tear  in  view  of  the  Saviour's  sufferings 
—  never  breathed  a  prayer  at  the  foot  of  the  cross  — 
never  remembered  his  sayings  to  do  them,  his  example 
to  imitate  it,  his  dying  love  to  celebrate  it  at  his  table  ! 

Most  melancholy  is  it  to  think  that  dying  sinners  can 
be  so  carried  away  by  the  things  of  this  vain  world  as 
to  procrastinate  compliance  with  the  claims  of  such  a 
Saviour,  and  thereby  expose  themselves  to  his  final  re- 
jection !  What  is  so  needful  for  us  as  a  place  in  Christ's 
remembrance  ?  What  are  the  regards  of  the  creature, 
what  the  treasures  and  honors  of  the  world,  compared 
with  this  ?  What  will  it  profit  me  that  I  have  gathered 
up  riches,  if  riches  can  neither  console  me  in  sorrow, 
nor  succor  me  at  death?  What  will  it  avail  that  my 
name  lives  in  the  annals  of  a  nation,  when  my  body  is 
food  for  worms  ?  What  are  even  the  remembrances  of 
friends,  if  they  must  soon  follow  me  to  the  house  ap- 
pointed for  all  living  ? 


THE    DYING    PENITENT.  365 

Is  not  this  the  infancy  of  my  immortal  existence—^ 
this  a  vale  of  tears  and  a  state  of  trial  ?  Beyond  the 
grave,  is  there  not  a  solemn  judgment  and  a  dread  eter- 
nity? How  imperious  the  wants  of  my  moral  being! 
how  momentous  the  interests  of  my  soul !  And  who, 
in  my  afflictions,  can  cheer  me,  if  Christ  be  absent  ? 
who,  in  my  death-struggle,  can  succor  me,  if  Christ 
forget  me?  How  shall  I  stand  in  the  judgment,  if  my 
name  be  not  written  in  the  book  of  his  remembrance  ? 
Glorious  tidings  of  great  joy,  that  he  died  to  live  for- 
ever !  that  he  has  gone  before  to  prepare  mansions  for 
his  followers  ! 

Let  me  live  in  daily  remembrance  of  Him  who  loved 
me,  and  gave  himself  for  me  ;  and  when  my  last  hour 
is  come  —  when  skill  is  baffled,  and  friends  can  only 
weep  around  my  couch,  and  coldness  is  creeping  through 
my  frame,  and  the  light  of  life  leaving  my  eyes,  and  I 
feel  myself  throttled  by  the  "  King  of  Terrors,"  and 
know  that  in  a  moment  I  must  part  with  earth,  and  go 
down  alone  into  the  dark  grave,  never  more  to  return  — 
then.  Lord,  rememher  me. 

And  when  the  sepulchres  are  bursting,  and  the  dead 
are  starting  to  life  at  the  sound  of  the  archangel's  trump, 
and  the  judgment  is  set,  and  the  books  are  opened,  and 
the  Judge  comes  forth,  clothed  with  righteousness  and 
armed  with  omnipotence  ;  and  I  find  myself  of  the  num- 
ber of  those  who,  "according  to  their  works,  are  to  be 
allotted  to  happiness  or  woe  forever ;  and  feel  myself 
to  he  a  sinner,  without  the  power  to  escape  or  the  tongue 
to  speak  —  O!  then,  rememher  me! 

Through  life's  pilgrimage,  all  I  ask  is,  a  place  in  thy 
31* 


366  THE    DYING    PENITENT. 

remembrance  ;  and  in  the  hour  of  death,  though  the  world 
forget  me,  and  friends  desert  me,  and  my  bed  be  made 
in  poverty,  and  my  body  racked  by  pain,  give  me  but 
thy  faintest  smile,  and  1  die  hajjpy  ! 


THE    DESPONDING    DISCIPLES.  367 


THE  DESPONDING  DISCIPLES. 

The  crowd  that  gathered  round  the  cross  of  the 
innocent  sufferer,  had  dispersed  ;  and  even  they  who, 
but  a  few  days  since,  were  bound  together  by  a  common 
faith,  are  now  scattered,  Hke  sheep  without  a  shepherd. 
With  the  last  breath  of  the  expiring  victim,  expired  their 
hopes !  What  a  gloom  must  have  settled  over  their 
minds,  as  the  approach  of  night  warned  them  to  retire 
from  Calvary ! 

But  among  those  who  had  witnessed  the  crucifixion, 
we  may  designate  two  men  who  are  returning  to  their 
home  at  Emmaus,  a  neighboring  village,  about  seven 
miles  from  Jerusalem.  But  little  is  known  respecting 
them.  The  probability  is,  that  they  had  seen  Jesus, 
listened  to  his  teachings,  and  witnessed  his  works,  and 
thence  been  led  to  regard  him  as  the  Messiah ;  but  the 
crucifixion  staggered  their  faith  and  dashed  their  hopes. 

In  this  state  of  mind,  dejected  and  melancholy,  they 
are  returning  whence  they  came  —  very  naturally  con- 
versing of  their  previous  views  and  feelings,  in  connec- 
tion with  the  scenes  they  had  so  recently  witnessed. 
They  had  not  journeyed  far,  when  a  person  accosted 
them  and  inquired  the  subject  of  their  conversation,  or 
the  cause  of  their  sadness  —  their  deieeted  countenances 


868  THE    DESPONDING    DISCIPLES. 

being  a  sufficient  apology,  if  one  were  needed,  for  such 
an  intrusion. 

Astonished  that  any  one  should  be  unacquainted  with 
an  event  of  so  recent  occurrence,  and  which  had  thrown 
the  whole  city  into  a  state  of  unwonted  excitement,  they 
concluded  that  he  was  a  stranger  ;  and  accordingly,  with 
all  that  simplicity  and  brevity  of  speech  which  charac- 
terize deep  emotion,  they  began  to  tell  him  of  "  Jesus 
of  Nazareth,  which  was  a  prophet  mighty  in  deed  and 
word  before  God  and  all  the  people  :  and  how  the  chief 
priests  and  our  rulers  delivered  him  to  be  condemned  to 
death,  and  have  crucified  him  :"  and  how  they  "  trusted 
that  it  had  been  he  which  should  have  redeemed  Israel : 
and  besides  all  this,"  said  they,  "  to-day  is  the  third  day 
since  these  things  were  done."* 

But  he,  instead  of  expressing  either  surprise  at  their 
statement,  or  sympathy  with  their  feelings,  immediately 
reproachedt  them  for  not  seeing,  in  the  events  to  which 
they  had  referred,  what  had  been  clearly  predicted  in 
their  own  Scriptures  ;  and  then  beginning  his  discourse, 
he  explained  to  them  from  Moses  and  the  prophets  the 
things  that  had  recently  taken  place  in  Jerusalem  :  how 
that  their  notions  were  not  in  accordance  with  the  Scrip- 
tures ;  that,  agreeably  to  the  intimations  of  ancient  proph- 
ecy, the  Messiah  must  suffer  ;  and  that  therefore  the 
death  of  Christ  was  in  fact  no  argument  that  he  was  not 
the  long-promised  deliverer  of  Israel. 

*  Luke  xxiv,  13-32. 

■f"  The  term  fool  in  this  connection  is  not  to  be  viewed  as  an  expres- 
sion of  contempt,  but  simply  as  an  appropriate  epithet  for  their  dulness 
in  not  having  perceived  the  drift  of  the  prophetic  writings  ;  or  their 
thoughtlessness  in  not  having  understood  that  the  Messiah  must  die 
and  rise  again. 


THE    DESPONDING   DISCIPLES.  369 

Thus  conversing,  they  reached  the  village ;  but  their 
travelling  companion  seemed  to  them  to  be  going  farther, 
and  therefore  they  constrained  him  to  stop  a  while,  and 
to  participate  their  hospitality  —  so  pleased  and  edified 
had  they  been  with  his  conversation,  and  so  reluctant 
were  they  to  lose  the  benefit  of  his  company.  Accord- 
ingly, he  went  in  to  sup  with  them  ;  and  while  they  sat 
at  meat  —  strange  !  he  undertook  the  office  of  the  mas- 
ter of  the  feast :  he  "  took  bread,  and  blessed  it,  and 
brake,  and  gave  to  them"  —  thus  reminding  them,  in 
the  most  unaffected  and  touching  manner,  of  the  au- 
thority, the  love,  the  gesture,  the  mien,  of  Him  whose 
death  they  bemoaned.  Perhaps,  as  he  raised  his  hands 
to  heaven,  in  invocation  of  a  blessing  on  the  food,  they 
observed  the  pri7its  of  the  nails. 

Then  they  recognised  him,  and  saw  clearly  that  he 
was  risen,  and  was  indeed  that  very  Messiah  whom  they 
had  so  fondly  hoped  would  redeem  Israel.  But  as  they 
recognised  him,  he,  availing  himself  of  the  moment  of 
their  surprise  and  joy,  suddenly  departed,  leaving  them 
to  recall  his  instructions  by  the  way,  and,  by  conse- 
quence, the  impressions  which  his  words  had  made  on 
their  minds  and  hearts  :  '  Strange,  that  we  did  not  know 
him !  "  Did  not  our  heart  burn  within  us,  while  he 
talked  with  us  by  the  way,  and  while  he  opened  to  us 
the  Scriptures  ?" ' 

Here,  then,  is  a  specimen  of  the  nature  of  that  evi- 
dence which  may  be  adduced  in  favor  of  Christ's  resur- 
rection. It  is,  as  it  were,  one  link  in  that  chain  of 
proofs  by  which  this  event  is  placed  beyond  all  reason- 
able doubt.     Here  are  two  witnesses,  alike  competent 


370  THE    DESPONDING   DISCIPLES. 

and  dispassionate,  and  testifying  under  circumstances 
which  cannot  be  explained  with  either  the  supposition 
that  they  meant  to  deceive,  or  were  themselves  deceived. 
Be  it  considered,  that,  whatever  their  former  views  and 
expectations  might  have  been,  the  door  of  the  sepulchre 
closed  on  their  hopes  when  it  enclosed  the  body  of  the 
crucified  Jesus  ;  that  they  were  returning  to  the  place 
of  their  abode  with  heavy  hearts  —  and  the  more  de- 
spondent, as  the  prospect  of  their  deliverance  from  Ro- 
man bondage,  which  had  so  lately  seemed  to  dawn  on 
their  vision,  was  now  shrouded  in  darkness  :  so  errone- 
ous was  their  conception  of  the  Messiah's  kingdom,  and 
so  imperfect  their  acquaintance  with  the  true  import  of 
the  prophetic  Scriptures.  Though  there  was  every  in- 
ducement for  them  —  as  they  had  previously  acknowl- 
edged him,  and  been  known  as  his  disciples  —  to  believe 
that  Christ  would  rise  from  the  dead ;  though  the  third 
day,  specified  in  his  predictions  as  the  time  of  his  res- 
urrection, was  past ;  though  they  had  just  heard  the 
report  of  the  women  who  had  gone  early  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  third  day  to  the  sepulchre,  that  the  body  was 
not  there,  and  that  the  angels  whom  they  saw  there  had 
said  that  Christ  was  alive  again — still,  they  were  not 
only  skeptical,  but  despondent. 

Being  in  such  a  state  of  mind,  it  is  not  surprising 
that  they  did  not  know  who  it  was  that  accosted  them. 
They  were  not  expecting  to  see  Jesus ;  they  did  not 
believe  that  he  was  alive  ;  and  it  required  the  strongest 
evidence  to  convince  them  that  he  had  risen  from  the 
dead  —  nothing  short,  indeed,  of  the  evidence  of  their 
r.enses  :    and,  though  they  had   been   interested  in  his 


THE    DESPONDING    DISCIPLES.  371 

conversation,  and  enlightened  by  his  exposition  of  the 
prophecies,  they  had  not  the  remotest  idea  that  the 
stranger  who  had  joined  them  was  indeed  the  risen 
Jesus,  until,  while  they  were  intent  on  the  duties  of 
hospitality  to  their  guest,  he  took  bread,  and  blessed  it, 
and  brake,  and  gave  to  them  —  as  Jesus  himself  had 
done  in  the  company  of  his  disciples,  previous  to  his 
crucifixion  !  Such  a  circumstance  was  the  more  signifi- 
cant, as  it  was  wholly  unexpected.  It  roused  them  from 
the  stupor  into  which  they  had  been  thrown  by  Christ's 
death,  and  in  a  moment  riveted  their  eyes  in  scrutinizing 
wonder  on  the  lineaments  of  their  guest,  '  We  cannot 
be  mistaken  ;  no,  it  is  He,  the  crucified  Jesus!  —  But 
he  has  gone  !  —  and  yet  we  cannot  doubt — we  have  seen 
him  !   he  is  certainly  risen,  as  he  said.' 

Such  were  the  circumstances  under  which  they  rec- 
ognised him,  and  such  their  convictions ;  and  the  proof 
of  their  having  been  thoroughly  satisfied  that  they  had 
really  seen  Jesus,  is  found  in  the  fact  that  the  same 
hour,  though  already  fatigued  with  walking,  they  re- 
turned to  Jerusalem  ;  and  finding  the  eleven  together, 
told  them  how  Jesus  had  met  them  and  conversed  with 
them  by  the  v/ay,  and  how  he  was  known  to  them  in 
the  breaking  of  bread. 

Nor  could  they  have  been  deceived  as  to  the  person 
who  had  met  them  —  unless  we  may  suppose  that  the 
woman  of  Samaria  could  have  failed  to  recognise  him 
with  whom  she  had  conversed  at  the  well  of  -Jacob  ;  or 
the  sisters  of  Lazarus,  him  who  had  raised  their  brother 
from  the  grave  ;  —  unless  Mary  herself  labored  under  an 
illusion  when  she  exclaimed.  "Kabboni!"  or  Thomas, 


372  THE    DESPONDING    DISCIPLES. 

when  he  exclaimed,  "  IMy  Lord  and  my  God  !"  They 
had  known  him,  and  often  listened  with  rapt  attention 
to  his  teachings,  and  even  embraced  him  as  the  Messiah  ; 
and  the  fact  that  they  did  not  recognise  him  before,  was 
owing  either  to  his  having  presented  at  first  a  different 
appearance,  or  that  they  were  no  more  expecting  to 
meet  him  again  than  we  are  the  friend  whom,  a  few  days 
since,  we  saw  dead  and  buried. 

Who  but  Christ  himself  would  have  accosted  them 
at  that  time,  or  could  have  conversed  with  them  in  such 
a  manner  ?  Though  it  might  have  been  a  stranger 
attracted  by  their  earnest  conversation,  and  curious  to 
know  what  had  occurred  in  the  city,  yet  it  is  not  prob- 
able that  an  utter  stranger  to  Jerusalem  would  have 
shown  such  profound  knowledge  of  the  Jewish  Scrip- 
tures :  or,  though  it  might  have  been  some  one  of  the 
disciples  with  whom  they  had  no  acquaintance,  yet  all 
the  disciples,  for  aught  we  know  to  the  contrary,  were 
equally  disappointed,  and  equally  in  the  dark  respecting 
the  nature  of  that  deliverance  which  Christ  had  come 
to  accomplish.  But  he  who  met  them  in  the  way  was 
no  stranger  to  what  had  taken  place  in  the  city  ;  nor 
was  he  a  stranger  to  Moses  and  the  prophets  :  and,  so 
far  from  expressing  surprise  or  wonder  as  a  stranger 
would  have  done,  or  sympathizing  with  their  views  and 
feelings  as  any  disciple  would,  he  at  once  reproved  them 
for  their  ignorance  and  disbelief  of  God's  word.  He 
proved  to  them  that  there  was  a  necessity  for  Christ's 
sufferings,  if  not  on  the  ground  that  God  "  might  be 
just,  and  the  justifier  of  him  which  believeth  in  Jesus," 
yet  clearly  from  the  fact  that  his  sufferings  had  been 


THE    DESPONDING    DISCIPLES.  373 

predicted  ;  and  then,  by  explaining  the  prophetic  parts 
of  Scripture,  he  satisfied  their  minds  that  the  things 
which  had  come  to  pass,  and  which  they  bemoaned, 
were  in  exact  fulfilment  of  all  the  prophecies  respecting 
the  promised  Messiah  :  he  walked  along  with  them 
while  thus  instructing  and  interesting  them  ;  he  would 
have  gone  beyond  the  village,  but  they  constrained  him 
to  tarry  with  them  ;  he  went  into  their  house  to  sup  with 
them,  and  reclined  at  meat  with  them,  and  broke  the 
bread,  and  asked  the  Divine  blessing,  in  their  presence  ; 
and  if  such  circumstances  do  not  furnish  sufficient  evi- 
dence that  he  who  met  them  was  a  real  personage,  no 
evidence  can  establish  the  fact :  a  hundred  witnesses 
under  such  circumstances  were  no  better  than  these  two. 

The  question  then  turns  on  the  authenticity  of  the 
narrative.  But  if  it  be  not  authentic,  how  can  we  ac- 
count for  the  fact  that  they  should  have  put  into  the 
mouth  of  a  stranger  to  them,  an  exposition  and  applica- 
tion of  those  ancient  prophecies  of  which  they  them- 
selves were  ignorant  —  and  at  the  very  time,  too,  when 
they  had  surrendered  their  own  minds  to  doubt  and 
despair  ?  All  this  must  have  been  a  fabrication  of  theirs, 
if  Jesus  Christ  did  not  accost  them,  and  so  converse 
with  them  :  or,  if  the  narrative  had  been  written  by  an 
impostor,  why  should  he  have  recorded,  to  their  dispar- 
agement, the  obtuseness  of  the  disciples  themselves  as 
to  the  plain  import  of  their  own  Scriptures  ?  But  how 
is  it  possible  that  an  impostor  should  have  written  a 
narrative  which  is  at  once  so  simple,  so  tender,  and  so 
true  to  nature? 

How  natural  that  the  disciples,  after  witnessing  the 
32 


374  THE    DESPONDING   DISCIPLES. 

death  and  burial  of  their  Lord,  should  abandon  all  hopes 
of  the  cause  which  they  had  espoused ;  that,  on  leaving 
the  city,  they  should  carry  with  them  a  sad  heart ;  that 
the  things  which  had  occurred  should  be  the  burden  of 
their  conversation  ;  and  that  they  should  conclude,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  that  he  who  had  not  heard  of  Christ's 
tragic  end,  could  not  have  been  long  in  Jerusalem ! 
And  then,  the  manner  in  which  they  replied  to  Christ's 
inquiry  indicates  just  such  a  state  of  mind  as  we  might 
suppose  to  exist  under  the  circumstances  in  which  they 
were  placed  :  not  calm  and  collected,  but  agitated  and 
perplexed.  There  was  so  much  that  was  remarkable 
about  him  whom  the  Jews  had  put  to  death ;  so  much 
evidence  that  he  was  the  Messiah  of  promise  :  how  be- 
nign his  aspect !  how  lovely  his  life !  how  pure  his 
benevolence !  What  words  of  wisdom  fell  from  his 
lips !  what  stupendous  and  gracious  miracles  were 
wrought  by  him  !  — '  But  then  the  chief  priests  had  con- 
demned him  and  caused  him  to  be  crucified  ;  and  even 
our  rulers  lent  their  countenance  to  the  bloody  deed : 
and  now,  he  is  no  more !  though  we  trusted  that  it  had 
been  he  which  should  have  redeemed  Israel.  And  be- 
sides all  this,  to-day  is  the  third  day  since  these  things 
were  done  !'  Every  thing  had  taken  place  contrary  to 
their  expectations  and  fondest  hopes ;  yet  the  wonders 
did  not  cease  :  "  Certain  women  also  of  our  company 
made  us  astonished,  which  were  early  at  the  sepulchre ; 
and  when  they  found  not  his  body,  they  came,  saying,  that 
they  had  also  seen  a  vision  of  angels,  which  said  that  he 
was  alive.  And  certain  of  them  that  were  with  us  went 
to  the  sepulchre,  and  found  it  even  so  as  the  women 


THE    DESPONDING    DISCIPLES.  375 

had  said:  but  him  they  saw  not:" — thus  stating  what 
they  had  seen  and  heard,  in  the  simplest  order  of 
local  suggestion  ;  but  knowing  not  what  to  think,  much 
less  to  believe  :  and,  though  last,  not  least,  the  manner 
in  which  they  listened  to  his  discourse  —  like  men  intent 
on  solving  a  mystery  ;  their  constraining  him  to  tarry 
with  them — being  naturally  reluctant  to  part  with  one 
so  soon  whose  conversation  had  already  served,  in  a 
degree,  to  relieve  their  agitated  minds ;  and,  above  all, 
their  mutual  and  involuntary  remark  on  his  sudden  de- 
parture—  denoting  as  it  did  the  deep  interest  and  pleas- 
ure which  they  had  felt  in  his  discourse,  before  they 
knew  who  he  was;  and  thus  led  to  recall  his  words  — 
words  which  reached  their  heart  when  they  were  ut- 
tered, and  which  they  now  wonder  had  not  led  before 
to  their  recognition  of  him  who  was  wont  to  speak  as 
never  man  spoke. 

Imagine,  reader,  that  you  had  been  one  of  the  follow- 
ers of  Jesus  :  how  would  you  have  felt  when  you  turned 
away  from  the  cross  on  which  he  was  crucified  between 
two  malefactors  —  or  from  the  sepulchre  where  he  was 
laid,  and  against  the  door  of  which  the  great  stone  had 
been  rolled?  When  you  bent  your  steps  homeward, 
and  recalled  the  fondest  hopes  you  had  ever  cherished, 
then  blasted  —  think  you  that  a  tear  would  not  have 
dropped  from  your  eye  ?  —  though  surprised  that  any 
one  so  near  the  city  could  be  ignorant  of  what  had  hap- 
pened, that  you  would  not  have  listened  with  the  intensest 
interest  to  any  scriptural  explanation  of  recent  events? 
—  and  if  you  had  at  last  found  in  your  unknown  com- 
panion your  lost  Messiah,  would  you  not  have  recalled 


376  THE    DESPONDING    DISCIPLES. 

his  words  with  ineffable  delight,  and  forthwith  returned 
and  communicated  the  joyful  tidings  ? 

If,  then,  the  style  of  the  narrative  proves  that  the  oc- 
currences which  it  embodies  were  taken  from  real  life, 
it  follows  that  Jesus  Christ  did  indeed  rise  from  the 
dead. 

The  two  disciples  had  often  read  their  Scriptures, 
and  they  believed  in  a  Messiah  who  should  come  ;  but 
it  had  never  entered  their  thoughts  that  he  would  be  sub- 
ject to  sufferings  and  to  death  :  and  the  reason  is  found 
in  the  fact  that  their  erroneous  preconceptions  of  the  na- 
ture of  Christ's  kingdom  had  served  to  obscure,  in  their 
view,  the  meaning  of  prophecy.  So  impressed  had  they 
been  with  the  notion  of  a  temporal  deliverer,  that,  not- 
withstanding all  Christ's  prophetic  allusions  to  his  own 
death,  that  event,  as  we  have  seen,  threw  them  into 
despair  ;  nor  until  their  eyes  were  opened  to  understand 
the  Scriptures,  did  they  know  that  Christ  must  needs 
suffer.  And  thus  it  is  now  —  that  prejudice  often  ob- 
scures or  perverts  the  plainest  doctrines.  The  desire 
also  of  finding  something,  or  of  proving  that  to  be  scrip- 
turally  true,  which  will  favor  their  worldly  views,  or  at 
least  not  interfere  with  their  worldly  pursuits  and  grati- 
fications, often  perverts  the  judgment,  and  even  enlists 
the  decisions  of  the  speculative  understanding.  How 
else  can  we  account  for  the  fact  that  some  should  be  so 
blind  to  the  doctrine  of  Christ's  divinity,  and  of  spiritual 
regeneration,  as  well  as  to  that  of  future  punishment? 
In  some  instances,  as  was  the  case  with  the  disciples  to 
a  great  extent,  the  prejudices  of  education  tend  to  pre- 
clude a  knowledge  of  the  plainest  truths  in  God's  word. 


THE    DESPONDING    DISCIPLES.  377 

Hence,  some  have  no  other  idea  of  religion  than  adhe- 
rence to  a  particular  form  of  the  church,  or  the  obser- 
vance of  forms  and  ceremonies  ;  nor  are  such  ever 
brought  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth  until,  in  the  provi- 
dence of  God,  the  Scriptures  are  properly  explained  to 
them,  and  brought  to  bear  in  all  their  convincing  power 
on  the  heart  and  conscience. 

Thus,  Ananias  was  the  instrument,  in  the  hands  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  of  enlightening  Saul's  darkened 
mind,  and  of  leading  him  unto  the  way  of  salvation. 
So  Philip,  by  explaining  the  prophecy  of  Esaias  to  the 
bewildered  !l^hiopian,  was  the  instrument  of  leading 
him  to  the  knowledge  of  Christ.  It  is  remarkable  that 
a  man  of  his  authority  under  Candace,  while  on  his 
return  from  Jerusalem,  whither  he  had  been  to  worship, 
should  have  been  reading  the  passage  —  "He  was  led 
as  a  sheep  to  the  slaughter ;  and  like  a  lamb  dumb  be- 
fore his  shearer,  so  opened  he  not  his  mouth :"  but  had 
not  Philip  begun  at  the  same  Scripture,  and  preached 
unto  him  Jesus,  he  would  not  have  gone  on  his  way  re- 
joicing in  having  found  the  Messiah  !  In  like  manner, 
had  it  not  been  for  the  providential  visit  of  Staupitz  to 
the  convent  of  Erfurth,  Luther,  notwithstanding  his  con- 
victions of  sin,  and  longings  after  purity  and  peace, 
might  have  died  the  wretched  victim  of  monkish  super- 
stitions. "  Look  to  the  wounds  of  Jesus,"  said  his 
instructor  and  guide;  "to  the  blood  which  he  has  shed 
for  you  :  it  is  there  you  will  see  the  mercy  of  God.  In- 
stead of  torturing  yourself  for  your  faults,  cast  yourself 
into  the  arms  of  your  Redeemer.  Trust  in  him  —  in 
the  righteousness  of  his  life,  in  the  expiatory  sacrifice  of 


378  THE    DESPONDING   DISCIPLES. 

his  death."*  He  did  ;  and  from  that  time  light  broke 
in  upon  his  darkness,  and  the  peace  of  God  began  to 
flow  in  upon  his  heart. 

Though  cast  down  and  sorrowful,  the  two  disciples, 
as  they  walked  along,  communed  with  each  other — 
thus  interchanging  their  sentiments,  and  aiming  to  arrive 
at  some  scriptural  conclusion  on  which  their  hearts 
could  rest :  and  as  surely  as  Christ  met  them,  and  by 
his  expositions  enabled  them  to  understand  the  Scrip- 
tures—  so  surely  will  he  meet  those,  by  his  word  and 
Spirit,  who  are  seen  walking  in  the  path  of  humble,  dili- 
gent, and  prayerful  inquiry.  It  is  not  tl^t  truth  is  ob- 
scure, or  difficult  to  be  understood,  that  so  few  acquire 
a  knowledge  of  what  the  Scriptures  teach  ;  it  is  because 
the  many  have  neither  a  love  nor  a  desire  for  the  truth  ; 
that  they  are  blinded  by  their  prejudices  or  wedded  to 
their  lusts ;  do  not  seek  to  know  the  mind  and  will  of 
the  Spirit ;  or,  when  they  seek,  bring  to  the  inquiry  all 
the  pride,  and  worldliness,  and  unsubmission  of  the 
carnal  mind.  "  No  man  cometh  unto  the  Father  but 
by  me,"  said  Christ:  no  man  can  attain  unto  the  true 
knowledge  of  God,  except  through  the  medium  of  the 
gospel  of  Christ.  They  who  have  sought  Christ,  have 
been  brought  to  the  knowledge  of  God  ;  and  whenever 
any  one,  through  the  consciousness  of  his  own  sinful- 
ness and  need  of  a  Saviour,  seeks  to  know  Christ,  then 
God  shines  into  his  heart,  to  give  the  light  of  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  glory  of  himself  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ. 
It  will  be  recollected  that  our  Saviour,  in  reply  to 
the  disciples,  expounded  to  them,  from  Moses  and  the 

•  Merle's  History,  vol.  i,  p.  1.50. 


THE    DESPONDING   DISCIPLES.  379 

prophets,  the  thhigs  concerning  himself :  showing  them 
that  those  very  sufferings  to  which  Christ  had  been  sub- 
jected, so  far  from  constituting  a  just  presumption  against 
his  Messiahship,  were  in  fulfilment  of  their  own  scriptu- 
ral prophecies  respecting  the  coming  Messiah  ;  that,  in 
consequence  of  his  having  been  crucified,  Jesus  would 
be  declared  to  be  the  Christ  of  whom  the  seers  of  Israel 
had  sung — to  whom  the  Mosaic  ritual  referred  —  and 
who  was  shadowed  forth  in  every  sacrifice  of  old,  being 
the  promised  seed  of  the  woman  who  should  bruise  the 
head  of  the  serpent. 

Had  Christ  discovered  himself  to  the  disciples  when 
he  first  met  them,  wonder  and  astonishment  would  have 
taken  the  place  of  reason  and  judgment ;  and  when  he 
left  them,  they  might  have  relapsed  again  into  skepti- 
cism and  despondency.  If  they  had  retained  a  distinct 
impression  of  his  appearance,  and  been  satisfied  in  their 
own  minds  that  they  had  seen  the  risen  Jesus,  they 
would  not  have  been  able  to  satisfy  others  that  they  had 
not  mistaken  some  one  else  for  Christ  himself,  or  labored 
under  an  optical  illusion  ;  but,  by  expounding  the  Scrip- 
tures to  them,  he  convi?iced  their  reason,  and  thus  pre- 
pared them  for  the  testimony  of  their  senses.  It  was  a 
proceeding  worthy  of  Him  who  "  did  all  things  well"  — 
as  though  by  so  doing  he  had  designed,  not  merely  to 
establish  these  disciples  in  the  faith  of  his  resurrection, 
but  to  teach  all  his  follovv'ers  that  they  should  be  "  able 
to  give  a  reason"  for  their  faith  and  hope ;  that  his 
claims  on  our  belief  are  founded  in  reason  and  truth ; 
that  we  are  to  believe,  not  on  the  ground  of  our  senses, 
but  on  the  testimony  of  God's  word.     This  word  is  now 


380  THE    DESPONDING    DISCIPLES. 

to  US  as  he  was  to  the  two  disciples  :  and  as  he  prepared 
them  for  the  revelation  of  himself,  so,  by  his  word  and 
Spirit,  is  he  preparing  his  followers  for  the  full  and  final 
revelation  of  his  glorious  perfections.  He  will  yet  be 
found  of  them  that  seek  him,  and  admired  of  them  that 
believe. 

There  is  an  intimate  connection  between  knowledge 
and  faith,  reason  and  hope  ;  and,  as  one's  interest  in 
searching  the  Scriptures,  such  is  the  probability  of  his 
speedily  finding  Him  of  whom  Moses  wrote. 

From  our  Lord's  expounding  to  the  disciples  the 
things  recorded  in  their  Scriptures  concerning  himself, 
it  follows  that  the  Hebrew  Scriptures  proceeded  from 
God.  Indeed,  the  most  decisive  proof  of  the  inspira- 
tion of  the  Old  Testament  is  derived  from  the  New. 
Paul  unquestionably  regarded  the  Hebrew  Scriptures 
as  of  Divine  authority,  or  he  could  not  have  said  to 
Timothy — "From  a  child  thou  hast  known  the  holy 
Scriptures,  which  are  able  to  make  thee  wise  unto  sal- 
vation through  faith  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus."  With 
express  reference  to  them  he  said,  "  All  Scripture  is 
given  by  inspiration  of  God  ;"  while  Luke  says  that 
"  God  spake  by  the  mouth  of  his  holy  prophets  ;"  and 
Peter,  that  "  holy  men  of  God  spake  as  they  were  moved 
by  the  Holy  Ghost."  But  our  Saviour's  declaration,  as 
recorded  by  Luke,*  is  of  itself  conclusive  :  "  These  are 
the  words  which  I  spake  unto  you,  while  I  was  yet  with 
you,  that  all  things  must  be  fulfilled  which  were  written 
in  the  law  of  Moses,  and  in  the  prophets,  and  in  the 
psalms,  concerning  me."      Hence,  whatever  allusions 

'-■"■='■•  '■'     ■  '-  *  Chap.  xxiv.  44. 


THE    DESPONDING    DISCIPLES.  381 

may  be  found  in  the  ancient  Scriptures  to  the  Messiah, 
refer  to  him  who  was  crucified. 

Here  there  is  no  room  for  mistake,  no  ground  for 
doubt.  We  know  that  He  in  whom  we  believe  was 
"  the  hope  of  the  promise  made  of  God  unto  the  fathers  ;" 
that  he  is  the  Divine  personage  who  should  come  in 
"  the  fuhiess  of  time,"  and  be  "  wounded  for  our  trans- 
gressions," and  "bruised  for  our  iniquities;"  and,  by 
consequence,  that  he  is  "The  mighty  God"  —  "The 
Prince  of  Peace !" 

It  is  only  through  the  medium  of  the  Old  Testament, 
that  Christ  can  be  found  in  the  New  ;  and,  separate  from 
the  ancient  Scriptures,  there  can  be  no  true  and  proper 
understanding  of  the  nature  and  design  of  his  death. 
There  is,  therefore,  an  inseparable  and  indispensable 
connection  between  these  dispensations.  If  there  is 
not,  it  is  impossible  to  explain,  not  only  the  phenomena 
of  the  Christian  dispensation,  but  the  extraordinary  cir- 
cumstance that  God  should  have  withdrawn  himself  from 
a  nation  which  he  had  expressly  selected,  and  to  which 
he  had  exclusively  made  known  his  will. 

Whatever  proofs  may  be  adduced  in  favor  of  the 
Divine  legation  of  Moses,  we  cannot  believe  in  him,  if 
his  economy  was  neither  preceded  nor  succeeded  by 
other  revelations  of  the  Divine  mind  ;  and,  by  parity  of 
reasoning — whatever  evidences  may  accompany  the 
claims  of  Jesus  —  we  cannot  believe  in  him  as  the  Mes- 
siah, if  we  can  discover  no  necessity  for  his  sufferings. 
But  what  are  the  facts?  Three  periods  —  from  the 
creation  down  to  the  present  —  occupied  by  three  suc- 
cessive dispensations  ;  all  alike  referable  to  a  common 


382  THE    DESPONDING    DISCIPLES. 

origin  ;  all  having  a  mutual  connection  by  virtue  of  the 
same  grand  and  harmonious  scheme ;  all  centring  in 
the  same  extraordinary  and  mysterious  personage,  and 
pursuing  the  same  purpose,  though  by  diversity  of 
means,  through  each  successive  period :  the  one  dis- 
pensation preparing  the  way  for  the  other,  and  both 
these  terminating  in  the  Christian  ;  and  all  alike  grow- 
ing out  of  the  fact  of  man's  original  apostasy,  and 
God's  consequent  promise  of  a  Redeemer.  Apart  from 
these  facts,  no  one  can  answer  the  question,  why  Christ 
must  needs  have  suffered.  Admit  them,  and  there 
can  be  but  one  true  system  of  religion  for  the  world, 
and  no  religion  can  be  of  God  which  has  not  reference 
to  Him  who  was  announced  immediately  after  the  fall 
of  man. 

The  only  difference  between  us  and  holy  men  of  old 
is  this  :  they  looked  forward  to  Him  who  should  come 
to  take  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself:  we  look 
back  to  the  Lamb  of  God  who  taketh  away  the  sin  of 
the  world.  And  who  shall  say  that  Abel  had  not  as 
strong  a  faith  in  Christ  when  he  offered  the  firstlings  of 
his  flock,  as  John  had  when  he  saw,  in  the  fact  that  not  a 
bone  of  Jesus  had  been  broken,  the  exact  fulfilment  of 
prophecy  ?  as  Abraham  had  when,  by  offering  up  his  son, 
he  dramatized  the  sacrifice  of  the  Son  of  God  ?  as  Paul 
had  when  he  said,  "  He  is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins, 
and  not  for  ours  only,  but  also  for  the  sins  of  the  whole 
world  !" 

The  intelligent  and  devout  Israelite  at  the  passover 
could  hardly  have  differed  in  any  thing  essential  to  true 
and  acceptable  faith  in  the  Messiah,  from  the  worthy 


THE    DESPONDmG   DISCIPLES.  383 

recipient  of  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ.  Who  is 
Christ,  but  the  great  antitypical  Lamb?  and  what  is  the 
Lord's  supper,  but  the  Christian  passover?  Certain  it 
is,  that  there  is  a  marked  correspondence  in  these  re- 
spects between  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  :  our  ordi- 
nances correspond ;  and  the  facts  which  we  accredit  as 
constituting  the  historical  basis  of  Christianity,  must  all 
be  rejected  before  it  may  be  denied  that  they  are  in  ful- 
filment of  ancient  prophecy.  The  disciples  were  stag- 
gered by  the  events  of  Calvary  ;  but  Isaiah  —  when  he 
stood  on  the  mount  of  prophetic  vision  —  foresaw  the 
sufferings  of  the  Messiah,  and  the  glory  that  should 
follow. 

''  O  fools  and  slow  of  heart  to  believe,"  said  the  risen 
Jesus  to  the  perplexed  and  dejected  disciples  ;  '  your 
own  Scriptures  might  have  taught  you  better  than  to 
doubt  the  divinity  of  Christ's  mission  because  he  was 
despised  and  rejected  of  men,  or  to  despair  because  he 
was  buffeted,  and  scourged,  and  put  to  a  cruel  death.' 
—  "  Ought  not  Christ  to  have  suffered  these  things,  and 
to  enter  into  his  glory?" 

If  Christ  could  thus  reprove  the  dulness  and  unbelief 
of  his  disciples,  with  how  much  more  propriety — since 
he  himself  has  furnished  us  with  a  key  to  the  prophetic 
Scriptures  —  may  it  be  said  to  those  at  the  present  day 
who  reject  the  atonement  and  the  divinity  of  the  Son 
of  God  :  '  O  fools  and  slow  of  heart  to  believe  what  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  has  rendered  plain  even  to  the  com- 
prehension of  a  child,  and  certain  beyond  the  possibility 
of  scriptural  disproof!' 

But  what  a  privilege  to  have  had  Christ  for  a  teacher 


384  THE    DESPONDING    DISCIPLES. 

—  Christ,  in  whom  are  hid  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom 
and  knowledge! — to  have  hung  on  his  lips  who  never 
spake  but  to  instruct  the  ignorant,  to  reclaim  the  erring, 
and  cheer  the  sorrowing,  or  to  expose  hypocrisy  and 
rebuke  unbelief;  Christ,  who  always  spake  as  "the 
Father  gave  him  commandment ;"  and  who  could  end 
his  discourses  —  replete  as  they  are  with  the  most  won- 
derful announcements  —  and  say,  "These  are  the  true 
sayings  of  God  ;"  and  as  he  spoke,  the  winds  and  waves 
ceased  to  rage  —  the  palsied  sick  took  up  their  bed  and 
walked  —  the  blind  received  their  sight  —  and  the  dead 
came  forth  to  life  ! 

It  is  no  wonder,  though  their  eyes  were  holden  that 
they  should  not  know  him,  that  such  a  teacher  made 
all  things  plain  and  clear  to  the  disciples  ;  that  his  words 
not  only  enlightened  their  minds,  but  warmed  their 
hearts.  The  words  of  Jesus  !  they  are  spirit  and  they 
are  life !  And  though  he  has  entered  into  his  glory, 
yet  has  he  often  spoken  to  his  followers  by  his  word 
and  Spirit ;  and  have  not  their  hearts  as  often  burned 
within  them  ? 

Never  is  the  Christian's  heart  so  drawn  out  in  emo- 
tions of  holy  love,  as  when  he  is  contemplating  the 
lineaments  of  Jesus  —  his  humility,  his  meekness,  his 
patience,  his  devotion  to  his  Father's  will,  his  weeping, 
untiring  benevolence,  and  the  loveliness  of  his  spotless 
example  ;  or  when  he  is  seated  at  the  table  of  his  dying 
love,  and  hears  the  Master  saying,  "  This  is  my  body 
broken  for  you."  When  thus  communing  with  Jesus, 
how  often  has  his  word  seemed  to  them  "  sweeter  than 
honey  or  the  honey-comb  ;"  how  often  have  they  been 


THE    DESPONDING   DISCIPLES.  385 

melted  to  tears  of  blending  gratitude  and  penitence  ;  in- 
spired with  a  glowing  zeal  in  his  service,  and  sometimes 
been  "  in  a  strait  betwixt  two,  knowing  that  it  were  better 
to  depart  and  be  with  Christ !" 

Author  and  Finisher  of  the  faith  once  delivered  to 
the  saints  !    be  thou  all  our  salvation  and  all  our  desire. 

What  a  religion  is  ours !  Let  those  who  know  not 
God,  and  Jesus  Christ,  whom  he  has  sent,  laud  their 
cold  philosophy,  and  worship  the  abstractions  of  intel- 
lect ;  and  they  who  would  quiet  their  fears  of  an  here- 
after without  renouncing  the  world,  let  such  rest  in  their 
heartless  rationalism,  or  their  lifeless  forms.  Give  me 
a  religion  that  makes  its  way  to  my  heart ;  that  will  dis- 
solve me  to  tears  of  penitence  for  my  sins,  and  fill  me 
with  love  to  Him  who  loved  me  and  gave  himself  for 
me  ;  that  will  make  me  more  weary  of  the  world,  and 
long  more  ardently  for  the  purity  and  peace  of  heaven  ! 

Let  him  who  would  instruct  me  in  the  way  of  salva- 
tion, trifle  not  with  my  spiritual  wants  by  his  empty 
words,  or  vain  theories  and  irrelevant  discourses  :  let 
hira  teach  me  out  of  the  lively  oracles  of  God.  If  he 
would  do  me  good,  let  him  make  me  humble,  grateful, 
prayerful,  and  devoted  :  let  him  preach  the  gospel,  not 
in  the  words  that  man's  wisdom  teacheth,  but  in  the 
words  that  the  Holy  Ghost  teacheth  !  Ay ;  and  if  he 
would  not  lead  me  to  mock  God,  or  ruin  my  own  pre- 
cious soul,  let  him  so  preach  "  Christ  and  hiin  cruci- 
fied," that  when  I  go  to  the  table  of  Jesus,  I  go  not  with 
either  the  cold  heart  of  the  formalist,  or  the  vapid  senti- 
mentalism  of  the  spell-bound  devotee,  but  with  the  peni- 
tent, grateful,  lively  sentiments  of  the  believer ;  that  I 


386  THE    DESPONDING    DISCIPLES. 

may  see  the  Master  of  the  feast,  and  think  of  Christ,  and 
love  Christ,  and  commune  with  Christ,  and  feed  by  fahh 
upon  his  atoning  sacrifice  ;  and  that  the  recollection  of 
having  been  with  Jesus  may  cause  my  heart  to  burn 
within  me,  and  constrain  me  to  make  known  to  others 
— by  my  walk  and  conversation,  my  spiritual  joys,  and 
purifying  hope,  and  earnest  longings  after  God  and 
heaven — the  fact  and  the  power  of  his  resurrection! 


THE    FIRST    GENTILE    CONVERT.  387 


THE  FIRST  GENTILE  CONVERT. 

Christianity  is  the  religion  of  our  birth.  We  have 
grown  up  amid  its  temples,  its  institutions,  its  benign 
and  elevating  influences.  "That  indifference  which  is 
consequent  on  familiarity,  is  apt  to  render  us  thought- 
less of  its  origin,  and  regardless  of  its  benefits.  Yet 
there  was  a  time  when  Christianity  was  not  known  — 
when,  with  the  sole  exception  of  Judea,  paganism,  in 
some  one  of  its  degrading  forms,  was  the  religion  of 
every  nation  on  the  globe. 

Wondrous  change !  We  are  wont  to  go  back  and 
contemplate  the  mutations  w^hich  have  taken  place  in 
society ;  and  it  is  curious  to  reflect  on  the  progress  of 
nations  from  barbarism  to  civilization — emerging,  as  it 
were,  from  the  horrors  of  a  wilderness  to  the  enjoyment 
of  a  landscape  enriched  by  agriculture,  and  adorned  by 
art — of  a  community  supplied  by  industry,  elevated  by 
intelligence,  and  protected  by  law.  But  all  our  re- 
searches into  the  early  condition  of  countries  and  nations 
are  of  trivial  moment,  compared  with  the  inquiry  as  to 
the  origin  of  practical  Christianity  in  the  gentile  world. 

It  might  have  been  supposed  that  Christianity  would 
have  selected  its  first  convert  from  amid  the  ranks  of 
philosophers  ;  but  thi-*  was  not  tho  case.  Professing 
them?f'l\'vs   wise,    \hc\   wore   lefl    to   work   out  a   fuller 


388  THE    FIRST    GENTILE    CONVERT. 

demonstration  that  "  the  world  by  wisdom  knew  not 
God."  Shall  we  look,  then,  among  the  pagan  priests 
for  the  first  convert?  Conscious  that  their  own  religion 
was  a  cheat,  they  were  only  the  more  hostile  to  a  faith 
which  endangered  their  selfish  gains ;  while  the  people 
at  large  were  degraded  by  ignorance,  deformed  by  vice, 
and  inflamed  by  national  prejudice.  But  how  much 
greater  the  honor,  had  Christianity,  at  the  outset,  triumph- 
antly invaded  the  pride  of  philosophy,  the  bigotry  of 
priestcraft,  or  the  sensualism  and  idolatry  of  the  throng  ! 
So  it  may  seem  to  us ;  but  the  first  to  whom  the  gospel 
was  sent,  was  a  man  who  seemed  to  be,'  than  any  other 
less  in  need  of  Divine  direction  and  mercy. 

We  might  have  supposed,  moreover,  that  this  conver- 
sion would  have  been  effected  through  the  instrumentality 
of  the  apostles;  that,  in  obedience  to  the  last  command 
of  their  Lord  and  Master,  they  v.oukl  have  gone  forth 
preaching  the  gospel  to  the  Gentiles  :  but,  notwithstand- 
ing Christ's  injunction,  it  is  doubtful  whether  their  minds 
would  have  been  so  speedily  disabused  of  the  prejudices 
of  their  birth.  Supernatural  agency  was  required,  before 
the  "  middle  wall  of  partition"  between  the  Jew  and  the 
Gentile  would  be  broken  down  ;  and,  as  an  angel  had 
been  sent  to  Mary  to  announce  the  coming  Saviour,  so 
an  angel  was  sent  to  Cornelius  to  announce  the  way  of 
salvation. 

It  is  very  remarkable  that  the  first  gentile  convert 
should  have  been  apprehended  by  God's  holy  Spirit 
from  amid  the  ranks  of  a  profession  which  had  been  the 
curse  of  the  world  ;  which  had  subjugated  nations  to 
individual    pride    and    ambition,    deified   warriors    and 


THE    FIRST    GEKTILE    CONVERT.  389 

heroes,  lent  its  support  to  despotism,  cruelty,  injustice, 
and  crime  ;  enslaved  minds,  and  sacrificed  the  lives  of 
countless  beings  ;  and  which  was  destined  to  overturn 
the  temple  and  city  of  the  Jews.  When  Rome  was 
about  to  send  forth  her  legions  to  pollute  and  destroy 
the  holy  of  holies,  God  sent  forth  his  Spirit  to  arrest  a 
Roman  centurion  as  the  first  fruits  of  Christianity ! 

It  is  difficult  to  divine  the  reason  for  this  selection. 
It  may  have  been  to  intimate  that,  though  the  Roman 
arms  would  overrun  Judea,  the  Christian  religion  should 
overspread  the  world  ;  that  the  profession  which  had 
promoted  wars,  should  be  rendered  subservient  to  the 
spread  of  the  gospel  of  peace  ;  that  He  who  could  appre- 
hend a  centurion,  would  control  the  movements  of  Titus 
and  his  legions;  that  the  spirit  and  courage  of  a  soldier 
would  be  needed  by  every  one  who  should  follow  Christ 
among  the  Gentiles.  It  might  have  been  to  convince 
the  Jews  themselves  that  the  middle  wall  must  indeed 
be  broken  down,  when  the  prayers  and  alms  of  a  gentile 
soldier  were  accepted  before  God;  or  to  convince  the 
wise  men  among  the  Gentiles,  that  the  attainments  of 
philosophy  are  no  recommendations  to  the  Divine  favor. 

As  fisliermen  were  selected  to  humble  the  pride  of 
the  Jew,  so  might  Cornelius  have  been  to  rebuke  their 
bigotry.  As  fishermen  had  been  called  to  rebuke  the 
arrogance  of  human  wisdom,  so  might  the  soldier  have 
been  arrested  to  abasJi  the  pretensions  of  priestcraft.  In 
the  conversion  of  Saul,  we  see  the  triumph  of  Christi- 
anity over  Judaism  ;  in  that  of  Cornelius,  its  triumph 
over  Deism. 

Moreover,  the  conversion  of  such  a  man  as  Cornelius 
33* 


390  THE    FIRST    GENTILE    CONVERT. 

may  have  been  designed  to  intimate  the  connection  be- 
tween the  principles  of  Deism  and  those  of  Christianity  ; 
that  a  certain  preparation  of  mind  and  heart  is  necessary 
to  the  cordial  reception  of  the  gospel ;  that  no  acts  of 
devotion,  no  good  works,  can  insure  heaven,  except 
through  Jesus  Christ — thus  ministering  a  rebuke  alike 
to  the  Jew  and  to  the  Gentile  ;  and,  finally,  that  no  em- 
ployment—  not  even  the  military  profession  —  is  incon- 
sistent with  the  practical  reception  of  the  gospel.  Nor, 
indeed,  is  any  one  occupation  in  life  more  favorable 
than  another  to  the  exercise  of  true  religion.  There 
may  be  bad  men  among  ministers  of  the  gospel,  and 
good  men  among  soldiers.  The  statesman  may  be  as 
truly  religious  as  the  preacher ;  and  each  and  every 
man,  in  his  sphere  of  secular  business,  may  alike  serve 
God  and  be  accepted  of  him.  This  is  the  great  pecu- 
liarity of  the  gospel.  It  does  not  require  us  to  go  out 
of  the  world,  or  to  desert  our  post  in  society  —  much 
less  to  neglect  our  calling  for  temporal  subsistence.  '  If 
thou  acceptest  the  terms  of  discipleship,'  says  its  spirit, 
'  1  will  accompany  thee  to  the  hall,  the  office,  the  work- 
shop, the  mine;  even  in  the  tented  battle-field  —  if  thou 
appearest  there  in  the  just  cause  of  thy  country  —  thou 
shalt  find  thy  Saviour.  Nay,  I  will  never  leave  nor 
forsake  thee,  unless  thou  prove  false  to  God,  to  thy 
race,  and  to  thyself!' 

It  is  not  stated  whether  Cornelius,  after  his  conver- 
sion, abandoned  the  military  profession  :  possibly  he 
midit  have  thought  that  he  could  not  do  all  that  was 
required  of  him,  by  superior  authority,  without  violating 
the  dictates  of  an  enlightened  conscience ;  or  that,  by 


THE    FIRST    GENTILE    CONVERT.  391 

now  retaining  his  profession,  he  might  be  exposing  him- 
self to  temptations  beyond  his  strength. 

Be  this  as  it  may,  all  we  know  positively  is,  that  he 
was  the  commander  of  a  division  in  the  Roman  army  — 
a  division  composed  chiefly  of  soldiers  from  Italy,  and 
thence  called  the  "  Italian  Band  ;"  and  the  place  in  which 
he  was  stationed  was  Caesarea  —  so  designated  in  honor 
of  Augustus  Caesar,  and  situated  on  the  coast  of  the 
Mediterranean,  about  sixty-two  miles  northwest  of  Jeru- 
salem. From  his  official  relations,  in  connection  with 
his  Latin  name,  we  are  led  to  infer  that  Cornelius  was  a 
Roman  ;  and,  though  some  commentators  have  thought 
that  he  was  a  Jewish  proselyte,  or  a  proselyte  of  the 
gate,  they  have  overlooked,  it  would  seem,  the  several 
facts  that  Peter  himself  regarded  Cornelius  as  a  foreigner, 
and  that  the  apostles  contended  with  Peter,  on  his  return 
to  Jerusalem,  for  having  preached  the  gospel  to  a  Gen- 
tile. The  presumption  that  Cornelius  must  have  been 
of  Jewish  birth,  because  he  was  a  devout  man,  has  its 
origin  in  the  same  mental  habitude  which  rendered  it 
difficult  for  Peter  to  conceive  how  that  could  be  cleansed 
which  he  had  always  regarded  as  common  and  unclean. 
Because  a  nation  may  be  immersed  in  heathenish  dark- 
ness, it  does  not  follow  that  no  individual  mind  within 
its  limits  has  any  glimpses  of  truth  and  right.  With  as 
much  propriety  might  we  conclude,  from  the  fact  that 
the  greater  proportion  in  Christendom  are  mere  nominal 
believers,  there  are  no  true  Chi'istians.  It  might  be 
found  that  there  are  among  the  heathen  the  same  grades 
of  intelligence  and  morality  which  we  find  in  Christian 
lands ;  it  may  be,  as  many  pagans  living  up  to  the  light 


392  THE    FIRST    GENTILE    CONVERT. 

which  they  enjoy,  as  Christians  to  their  superior  lights 
and  privileges.  If  we  can  believe  that,  long  before  the 
advent  of  the  Messiah,  there  lived  a  man  in  Athens  who 
eschewed  the  popular  superstitions,  and,  while  surround- 
ed by  pantheists  and  sensualists,  aimed  to  render  to  the 
Supreme  Being  the  homage  of  a  spiritual  worship  and 
of  a  pure  life  —  still  less  incredible  is  it  that  there  was 
at  Caesarea,  in  the  days  of  the  apostles,  a  devout  wor- 
shipper of  the  true  God.  In  what  way  such  a  man  was 
taught  the  evils  of  idolatry,  and  the  necessity  of  a  reli- 
gion of  the  heart — whether  by  the  unaided  exercise  of 
reason,  by  the  aid  of  tradition,  or  by  some  incidental 
acquaintance  with  the  principles  of  Revelation  —  it  is 
difficult  to  decide  ;  but  not  more  difficult  than  to  account 
for  the  manner  in  which,  here  and  there,  some  obscure 
person  came  to  the  heartfelt  knowledge  of  the  faith  in 
Christ,  years  before  Germany  awoke  from  the  long  night 
of  papal  superstition.  As,  at  the  era  of  the  Reformation, 
there  were  individuals  who,  without  any  known  advan- 
tages, without  ever  having  seen  the  Bible,  were  pre- 
pared to  receive  the  tidings  of  great  joy  —  so  may  we 
suppose  that,  at  the  time  to  which  we  allude,  God,  hav- 
ing broken  down  the  middle  wall  of  partition,  was  pre- 
paring many  a  heart  among  the  Gentiles  to  receive  the 
knowledge  of  his  great  salvation. 

It  is  certain,  however,  that  Cornelius  was  a  pious 
man  ;  for  he  feared  God,  and  exerted  his  influence  to 
train  up  his  family  in  the  fear  of  God:  he,  moreover, 
evidenced  his  piety  by  his  alms,  and  by  maintaining  the 
habit  of  daily  prayer.  All  this  may  be  admitted  ;  but 
that  an  angel  should  have  appeared  unto  him  at  one  of 


THE    FIRST    GENTILE    CONVERT.  393 

his  seasons  of  devotion,  is  a  singular  circumstance  :  nor 
could  we  easily  accredit  it,  were  it  not  that  Peter  and 
Cornelius,  though  previously  strangers  to  each  other, 
met,  by  acting  according  to  the  supernatural  directions 
which  they  had  separately  received  —  so  that  we  cannot 
throw  discredit  on  one  part  of  the  narrative  without  re- 
jecting the  whole.  Besides,  the  centurion's  vision  was 
not  a  dream.  It  occurred  about  the  ninth  hour  of  the 
day  —  toward  eventide  ;  and  it  was  with  his  bodily  eyes 
that  he  saw  a  man  in  bright  clothing,  and  heard  him 
distinctly  pronounce  his  own  name.  It  is  not  surprising 
that  his  first  emotion  bordered  on  fear,  nor  that  he  should 
have  immediately  inquired  the  purport  of  so  extraordi- 
nary a  visit.  "  Thy  prayers  and  thine  alms,"  replied 
the  heavenly  visitant,  "  are  come  up  for  a  memorial 
before  God.  And  now  send  men  to  Joppa,  and  call 
for  one  Simon,  whose  surname  is  Peter  :  he  lodgeth 
with  one  Simon  a  tanner,  whose  house  is  by  the  sea- 
side :  he  shall  tell  thee  what  thou  oughtest  to  do."* 

It  may  be  asked,  what  necessity  there  was  for  any 
supernatural  errand  to  Cornelius  for  such  a  purpose. 
Peter  himself  might  have  been  sent,  and  he,  an  inspired 
apostle,  might  have  readily  told  the  centurion  in  what 
light  his  prayers  and  alms  were  regarded,  and  whatever 
was  incumbent  on  him  to  do  in  the  way  of  his  salvation. 
This  is  true  ;  but  the  centurion  would  not  then  have 
had  that  confidence  in  Peter  that  was  necessary  under 
the  circumstances,  nor  that  clear  and  certain  evidence 
that  it  was  his  duty  to  act  according  to  the  apostle's 
instructions. 

*  Acts  X.  4-6. 


394  THE    FIRST    GENTILE    CONVERT. 

Aside  from  this,  a  new  and  most  remarkable  era  was 
about  to  open  on  the  history  of  both  the  church  and  the 
world  —  the  introduction  of  the  gospel  to  the  Gentiles. 
Here  was  the  first  Gentile  to  whom  it  was  to  be  preached : 
and  in  this  fact.,  we  are  furnished  with  the  reason  why 
an  ang-el  was  commissioned  to  visit  Cornelius.  But  in 
order  to  this  great  end,  certain  timeworn  prejudices 
were  to  be  overcome,  certain  erroneous  notions  to  be 
rectified,  and  certain  fundamental  principles  to  be  made 
known  and  established.  It  might  be  expected  that  the 
eye  of  the  Christian  church,  in  all  coming  ages,  would 
look  back  to  the  history  of  the  first  Gentile  convert,  and 
by  it  be  governed  in  its  views  of  what  is  essential  to  the 
Divine  acceptance,  and  what  kind  of  instrumentality 
God  employs  in  the  work  of  man's  salvation. 

The  j'l'^nciples  which  this  narrative  embodies  will 
necessarily  lead  us  to  certain  important  conclusions. 
For  example  —  that  the  ministry  of  the  word  is  the 
grand  instrumentality  for  bringing  men  to  the  saving 
knowledge  of  the  truth.  Originating  with  tlie  great 
Head  of  the  church,  it  bears  the  impress  of  his  authority, 
enjoys  the  promise  of  his  presence,  and  the  aids  of  his 
Spirit :  "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gos- 
pel to  every  creature  ;  and  lo,  I  am  with  you  alway, 
even  to  the  end  of  the  world."  Hence,  havino:  estab- 
lished  the  Christian  ministry,  the  Lord  Jesus  did  not  so 
much  as  intimate  his  will  to  Saul  of  Tarsus,  though  he 
had  miraculously  arrested  him  ;  but  sent  him  to  be  in- 
structed by  Ananias  —  thus  honoring,  that  all  might 
honor,  an  instrumentality  of  his  own  appointment.  In 
like   manner,  the    angel    might   have   told  Cornelius  all 


THE    FIRST    GENTILE    CONVERT.  395 

that  was  necessary  for  him  to  know,  in  order  to  his  sal- 
vation ;  but  instead  of  this,  "  Send  men  to  Joppa,"  said 
he,  "  and  call  for  one  Simon,  whose  surname  is  Peter," 
and  "Ae  shall  tell  thee  what  thou  oughtest  to  do."  And 
why  did  not  the  angel  proclaim  to  him  the  words  of 
eternal  life  ?  Because,  in  so  doing,  he  would  have  ex- 
ceeded the  power  of  his  own  commission  —  thereby 
trespassing  on  the  prerogatives  of  the  ministry  which 
Christ  had  instituted. 

This  seems  to  us  to  have  been  one  of  the  ends  which 
God  contemplated  in  sending  an  angel  to  Cornelius  — 
to  wit,  to  show  the  Gentiles  that  the  ministry  of  the 
word  is  the  instrumentality  which  he  has  appointed  for 
bringing  men  to  the  knowledge  and  embrace  of  the 
truth  ;  to  intimate  to  men,  in  all  coming  generations, 
that  if  they  desire  to  know  the  truth,  or  are  concerned 
for  their  salvation,  they  should  send  for  the  ministry  of 
the  gospel :  and  the  history  of  Christianity  bears  illus- 
trious testimony  to  this  feature  of  the  Divine  economy, 
in  the  countless  exemplifications  which  it  affords  us  of 
the  unrivalled  power  and  efficiency  of  the  preached 
word.  Where  and  when  is  it  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
has  descended  —  establishing  Christians  in  their  "most 
holy  faith,"  and  turning  sinners  from  "  the  error  of  their 
ways" — but  in  the  place  where  the  preacher  stands, 
and  while  he  is  reasoning  with  men  out  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  setting  forth  in  heartfelt  language  Christ  cru- 
cified, as  a  Saviour  mighty  to  save  ?  Other  means  may 
serve  to  enhghten  the  mind,  but  none  so  efficient  as  this 
in  reachina:  the  heart  and  the  conscience.  Even  while 
surrounded    by    other    means    of   religions   instruction. 


396  THE    FIRST    GENTILE    CONVERT. 

many  a  man  has  vainly  sought  the  peace-giving  knowl- 
edge of  the  truth,  until  some  humble  minister  of  the 
cross  has  directed  him  into  the  vv'ay  of  eternal  life.  In 
vain  may  any  one  look  for  the  saving  knowledge  of  the 
truth,  unless  he  comes  before  God,  as  his  people  come, 
to  hear  from  the  lips  of  his  servant  all  the  words  which 
God  has  commanded.  In  vain  do  we  send  abroad  our 
bibles  and  tracts,  unless  we  send  also  the  living  preacher 
of  the  gospel. 

By  such  remarks,  we  do  not  unduly  magnify  the 
Christian  ministry.  No  ;  we  are  no  advocates  for  a 
"  succession,"  which,  if  it  could  be  proved  to  be  "  un- 
broken," has  no  sanction  from  the  gospel  —  much  less 
any  vital  connection  with  its  fundamental  principles. 
We  claim  not  powers  with  which  no  man  can  be  in- 
vested without  either  becoming  corrupt  in  his  own 
views  of  gospel  truth,  or  corrupting  others.  We  eschew 
all  such  pretensions,  and  bear  our  solemn  testimony 
against  them — because  they  have  deluded  unnumbered 
minds  into  the  notion  that  salvation  cometh  fi-om  the 
priest,  instead  of  coming  from  God  only.  In  affirming 
the  indispensable  importance  of  the  gospel  ministry,  we 
simply  mean  to  assert  Godfs  sujtremacy,  and  to  hold  to 
God's  apj)ointed  instrumentalitij.  He  has  committed  the 
excellency  of  the  treasure  to  earthen  vessels,  that  "  the 
excellency  of  the  power  might  be  of  God."  —  "It  has 
pleased  God  by  the  foolishness  of  preaching"  —  not  by 
our  receiving  absolution  from  human  lips,  nor  by  our 
receiving  the  sacrament  at  the  hands  of  a  priest — but 
"  by  the  foolishness  of  preaching  to  save  them  that  be- 
lieve ;"  because  this  is  the  medium  and  the  only  appointed 


THE    FIRST    GENTILE    CO.WERT.  397 

medium  through  which  God  pours  the  Hght  of  truth  upon 
the  darkened  mind,  and  bows  tlie  stubborn  will,  and  dis- 
solves the  heart  to  penitence,  and  faith,  and  love.  Thus 
was  it  in  the  days  of  the  apostles  —  at  the  period  of  the 
Reformation  also  —  and  so  is  it  now.  On  the  other 
hand,  facts  prove  that,  where  the  gospel  has  not  been 
faithfully  preached,  there  Christianity  is  little  else  than 
baptized  heathenism  ;  there  the  religion  of  the  heart  has 
been  displaced  by  the  blinding  influence  of  forms  and 
ceremonies  ;  there  the  people,  however  they  may  regard 
themselves  as  "  the  temple  of  the  Lord,"  are  "  ignorant 
of  Christ's  righteousness,  and  going  about  to  establish 
their  own  ;"  that  there  the  gospel,  if  faithfully  preached, 
would  be  hated  and  reviled  ! 

It  is  a  singular  though  lamentable  fact,  that  they  who 
claim  to  be  sole  successors  of  Peter,  should  resemble 
this  apostle  so  little  in  their  preaching;  that  instead  of 
proclaiming  remission  of  sin  through  faith  in  Christ, 
they  should  have  anathematized  all  who  adhere  to  the 
simple  principles  of  the  gospel,  and  substituted  works 
for  faith  ;  and  that,  even  now,  they  should  exalt  their 
polity,  their  ordination,  their  sacraments,  their  ritual, 
above  the  importance  of  the  preached  gospel,  and  all 
essential  verities  !  But  though  such  may  aim  to  exalt 
themselves,  there  are  who  would  "rejoice  if  counted 
worthy  to  suffer  shame  for  the  sake  of  Christ."  They 
ask  no  blind  submission  to  the  power  of  the  keys  —  no 
prostration  in  their  presence  :  enough  for  them,  if,  in 
the  spirit  of  Peter,  who  bade  Cornelius  rise,  they  may 
be  the  servants  of  all,  for  Jesus'  sake.  Whatever  effort 
mav  be  made  by  ghostly  ambition  to  invalidate  the  gos- 

34: 


398  THE    FIRST    GEXTILE    CONVERT. 

pel  ministry,  they  may  say,  as  Paul  himself  affirmed, 
'  We  have  "  received  that  ministry  from  the  Lord  Je- 
sus," and  we  are  "  a  sweet  savor  unto  God  in  them  that 
are  saved,  and  in  them  that  perish."  '  * 

It  is  evident  also,  from  this  narrative,  that  God  pre- 
fers the  offering  of  the  heart  to  all  external  forms  of 
worship.  It  was  in  accordance  with  this  principle  of 
the  Divine  administration,  that  the  prayers  and  alms  of 
Cornelius  were  remembered  before  God.  Though  he 
had  not  been  circumcised,  nor  had  offered  any  ceremo- 
nial sacrifice,  yet  he  had  acted  according  to  the  best  of 
his  knowledge,  cordially  and  humbly  ;  and  therefore  his 

*  Peter's  interview  with  Cornelius  proves  conclusively,  not  merely 
that  faith  in  Christ  is  the  essence  of  Christianity,  but  that  it  lies  at  the 
foundation  of  the  Christian  church — thus  furnishing,  if  other  arguments 
were  wanting,  an  effectual  refutation  of  the  fundamental  error  of  popery. 
There  is  no  impropriety  in  referring  the  word  rock  to  Peter  himself, 
(Matt.  xvi.  18,)  because  it  is  a  fact  that  in  one  sense  the  church  is  built 
on  him ;  that  is,  he  was  the  first  in  making  known  the  gospel  to  both 
Jews  and  Gentiles.  But,  in  so  doing,  he  laid  the  foundation  of  the 
church  among  both  Jews  and  Gentiles;  and  therefore,  as  the  use  of  the 
word  rock  by  our  Saviour  follows  Peter's  confession  of  him  —  "Thou 
art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God"  —  as  it  is  in  the  feminine 
gender,  and  cannot  agree  with  the  name  of  a  man  —  it  necessarily 
refers  to  faith  in  Christ,  the  great  truth  which  Peter  believed  and  con- 
fessed. Moreover,  as  the  word  Rock  is  sometimes  applied  to  Jehovah, 
to  suppose  that  it  refers  to  Peter  is  to  transfer  to  him  the  attributes  of 
God  himself — thus  removing  the  foundations  of  the  church  to  a  mere 
man ;  and  hence  it  is  that  the  church  is  displaced  by  Peter :  and  the 
followers  of  Peter  are  instructed  to  do  penance,  and  count  their  beads, 
instead  of  being  told,  as  he  preached  to  the  centurion,  to  believe  on 
Christ.  But  that  the  word  refers  simply  to  faith  in  Christ,  is  evident 
from  the  fact  that  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  were  committed  to  Peter. 
The  kingdom  is  the  New-Testament  economy,  and  faith  is  the  condi- 
tion of  an  entrance  into  this  kingdom.  Peter  therefore  instructed  Cor- 
nelius in  the  way  of  salvation  through  faith  in  Christ,  and  initiated  him 
into  the  Christian  church  ;  and  this  was  the  first  act  of  unloosing  and 
of  binding — unloosing  from  the  ceremonial  law,  from  the  Levitical 
priesthood,  and  from  the  altar  of  sacrifice  —  and  of  binding  him  to 
Christ;  and  if  this  was  not  the  fact,  then  the  middle  wall  of  partition  is 
not  broken  down  :  we  are  still  in  bondage  to  ordinances. 


THE    FIRST    GENTILE    CONVERT.  399 

prayers  and  alms  were  accepted,  as  evidences  of  his 
fear  of  God,  and  his  desire  to  glorify  God.  His  heart 
was  in  his  religion  ;  and  if  the  heart  be  not  engaged  in 
our  worship,  what  can  any  forms,  however  solemn  and 
imposing  —  any  sacrifices,  however  costly,  avail  in  the 
sight  of  God  ? 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  futility  of  a  heartless  ser- 
vice, or  the  acceptableness  of  a  simple  heart-offering, 
was  not  so  obvious  even  to  the  Jews  —  though  their 
Scriptures  had  unequivocally  inculcated  the  sentiment 
that  "  to  obey  is  better  than  sacrifice,  and  to  hearken 
than  the  fat  of  rams ;"  and  though  it  may  seem  so 
clear  to  us  as  hardly  to  require  a  formal  notice,  yet  was 
it  necessary  that  this  principle  of  the  Divine  administra- 
tion should  be  distinctly  settled. 

The  efficiency  of  mere  forms  has  been,  in  all  ages, 
the  delusion  of  the  common  mind  ;  and  a  mere  formal 
worship  is  ofttimes  the  expedient  of  the  deceitful  heart 
to  hush  the  clamors  of  a  guilty  conscience.  Whatever 
may  be  our  own  degree  of  light,  how  apt  are  we  to  for- 
get that  "God  will  not  be  mocked"  —  that  he  requires 
a  spiritual  offering!  Do  we  mistake?  How  happens 
it,  then,  that  so  many  approach  God's  holy  altar  without 
any  preparation  of  heart ;  that  some  whose  lives  give  no 
evidence  that  the  fear  of  God  is  before  their  eyes,  do 
nevertheless  attend  the  house  of  God  with  regularity, 
and  go  through  their  accustomed  forms  of  devotion  with 
the  utmost  solemnity  of  manner ;  that  they  would  be 
more  disturbed  by  any  omission  of  their  forms,  than  if 
they  had  been  betrayed  into  some  moral  irregularity,  or 
sinful  conformity  to  the  world?     O  vain  man!   "I  say 


400  THE    FIRST    GENTILE    CONVERT. 

unto  thee,  that  except  tliy  righteousness  exceed  the 
righteousness  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  thou  shalt 
in  no  case  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 

"  God  doth  prefer 
Before  all  temples,  the  upright  heart  and  pure." 

"  The  sacrifices  of  God  are  a  broken  spirit :  a  broken 
and  contrite  heart,  O  God,  thou  wilt  not  despise." 

Had  a  Jew  been  asked  his  opinion  of  the  centurion's 
rehgion,  he  would  have  branded  it  with  sentiments  of 
no  measured  reprehension,  if  not  contempt — because 
the  centurion  had  not  offered  sacrifice  according  to  the 
law  of  Moses,  and  moreover  was  himself  a  Gentile, 
being  not  a  child  of  Abraham,  and  having  no  fellowship 
with  the  Jewish  synagogue !  Such,  indeed,  was  the 
bigoted  impression  of  Peter  himself;  and  it  was  not 
until  God  had  spoken  thrice  to  Peter,  that  even  he 
could  be  induced  to  act  contrary  to  the  prejudices  of 
his  education. 

Here,  then,  we  arrive  at  another  principle  —  a  prin- 
ciple which  the  Jews  had  lost  sight  of;  which  the  apos- 
tles themselves  were  slow  to  admit ;  which  religionists 
in  every  age  are  too  apt  to  overlook.  We  are  surprised 
that  the  Jewish  mind  could  have  been  so  blinded  by 
prejudice  ;  that  they  who  had  heard  the  Master's  decla- 
ration—  "  He  that  believeth  shall  be  saved"  —  should 
have  contended  with  Peter  for  having  preached  the  gos- 
pel to  a  Gentile:  but  this  is  not  so  remarkable  as  that 
there  are,  at  the  present  day,  exclusive  claims  and  illib- 
eral sentiments.  Some  whom  we  might  suppose  to  be 
better  acquainted  with  the  essential  piinciples  of  Chris- 
tianity, go  so  far  as  gravely  to  maintain  that  the  great 


THIC    FIRST    GENTILE    CONVERT.  401 

Head  of  the  church  has  confined  to  them  and  their  suc- 
cessors the  legitimate  exercise  of  all  ministerial  func- 
tions ;  that  the  gospel  should  never  be  preached,  nor 
the  ordinances  administered,  but  by  themselves  alone  ; 
and  that  unless  one  hear  the  word  from  their  lips,  and 
receive  the  sacrament  from  their  hands,  he  is  a  heathen 
man  and  a  publican  !  But  this  is  worse  than  Jewish 
bigotry,  and  more  absurd  than  even  the  pretensions  of 
the  Pharisees  of  old.  So  far  from  having  any  warrant 
from  the  word  of  God,  such  a  notion  perverts  the  con- 
ditions of  salvation,  and  thus  deserves  the  reprehension 
of  all  who  love  the  gospel  of  Christ.'  Having  its  origin 
in  the  same  feelings  which  led  the  .Jews  to  regard  them- 
selves as  the  favorites  of  Heaven,  or  to  murmur  against 
Christ  because  he  had  sat  down  with  publicans  and  sin- 
ners, it  develops  itself  through  as  many  mediums  as 
there  are  vents  for  the  pride  and  ambition  of  the  worldly 
mind.  It  may  be  detected  no  less  in  the  priest  who 
aims  1o  make  others  admit  what  he  supposes  to  be  the 
exclusive  validity  of  his  own  ordination,  than  in  him 
who  claims  infallibility  from  Rome;  no  less  in  the  man 
who  hopes  in  Heaven's  favor  because  of  the  font  at 
which  he  was  baptized,  or  the  altar  at  which  he  received 
the  eucharist,  than  in  those  who  presume  to  hope  on  the 
ground  of  their  rank  and  respectability  among  men. 

Show  me  the  man  who  in  no  case  will  take  the  sacra- 
ment out  of  his  own  narrow  pale,  or  who  complacently 
thinks  that  there  is  no  salvation  out  of  his  own  ecclesi- 
astical enclosure,  and  I  will  show  you  in  him  one  who, 
had  he  lived  in  the  days  of  the  apostles,  would  have 
looked  down  with   scorn   on  the  simple   religion  of  a 

34* 


402  THE    FIRST    GENTILE    CONVERT. 

Cornelius  —  one  who  has  yet  to  learn  the  great  princi- 
ple which,  in  Peter's  mission  to  the  Roman  centurion, 
is  set  forth  with  noontide  clearness,  that  "  God  is  no 
respecter  of  persons." 

We  do  not  marvel  that  God  should  have  interposed 
to  make  known  a  principle  of  such  vital  importance. 
Nothing  short  of  this  could  have  dispelled  the  prejudices 
which  environed  the  minds  of  the  apostles,  and  imparted 
to  them  views  and  feelings  in  accordance  with  the  spirit 
of  the  glorious  gospel  of  the  grace  of  God.  By  it  they 
were  emphatically  taught  that  the  barrier  between  the 
Jew  and  the  Gentile  was  broken  down,  never  to  be 
replaced  ;  that  in  God's  sight  all  men  are  on  an  equality 
—  none  to  be  saved  by  external  privileges,  none  to  be 
lost  through  the  want  of  such  privileges  ;  that  all  men 
are  alike  guilty  before  God ;  that  none  have  a  claim  on 
his  favor  ;  and  that,  if  any  are  saved,  it  will  be  by  God's 
showing  mercy,  not  by  their  asserted  rights  or  self-com- 
placent assumptions. 

As  acceptance  in  God's  sight  did  not  depend  on  Abra- 
hamic  descent,  or  on  external  privileges,  so  we  are  taught 
that  it  does  not  now  depend  on  an  answer  to  the  ques- 
tion, 'What  is  our  rank  in  life?'  or  'to  what  branch  of 
the  church  we  belong ;'  but  on  the  state  of  the  heart. 
"In  every  nation,  he  that  feareth  God  and  worketh 
righteousness  is  accepted  of  him."  Hence  the  impor- 
tance of  such  questions  as  these  :  '  Is  my  heart  right  in 
the  sight  of  God  ?  Am  I  giving  evidence  of  my  love  to 
God,  by  my  righteousness  toward  man?  Am  I  living 
according  to  that  degree  of  light  which  I  enjoy,  and  im- 
proving my  opportunities  to  the  best  of  ray  ability?' 


THE    FIRST    GENTILE    CONVERT.  403 

Works,  however,  are  not  the  meritorious  ground  of 
our  acceptance  before  God?  In  the  case  of  Cornelius, 
they  simply  proved  that  he  feared  and  loved  God,  not 
that  he  depended  on  his  morality  for  salvation.  By  his 
works  he  showed  that  he  was  disposed  to  do  God's 
will ;  and  hence  it  appears  that  a  disposition  to  do  the 
will  of  God,  as  far  as  it  may  be  known,  constitutes  the 
essence  of  religion.  Cornelius  improved  his  advantages  ; 
and  that  he  was  disposed  to  do  the  will  of  God,  to  the 
extent  of  his  knowledge,  is  clear  from  the  fact  that,  as 
soon  as  the  gospel  was  preached  to  him,  he  believed. 
Hence  his  acceptance,  even  before  the  gospel  was  made 
known  to  him  —  his  acceptance  through  the  mercy  of 
that  God  who  "  looketh  on  the  heart,"  and  who  knew 
that  he  who  from  the  heart  feared  him  and  aimed  to  do 
his  will,  was  prepared  to  embrace  the  message  of  the 
gospel.  It  must  be  so,  from  the  nature  of  man's  moral 
constitution,  as  well  as  of  God's  spiritual  government. 
"  He  who  offends  in  one  point  is  guilty  of  the  whole 
law  ;"  that  is,  he  violates  the  spirit  of  the  law,  and  sins 
against  the  authority  of  the  whole  law  :  and,  in  like  man- 
ner, he  who  cordially  respects,  in  any  one  particular,  the 
will  of  God,  respects  and  virtually  obeys  the  whole  law. 
Hence,  if  one  conscientiously  acts  with  reference  to  the 
Divine  will,  so  far  as  that  will  has  been  revealed  to  him 
through  the  law  of  conscience,  he  cannot  reject  that  will 
when  supernaturally  enunciated  ;  because  the  evidence 
in  the  latter  case  is  incomparably  clearer  than  in  the 
former  —  unless  it  were  reasonable  to  suppose  that  he 
whose  vision  had  been  bounded  by  the  light  of  a  taper, 
would  not  rejoice  in  the  light  of  the  sun. 


404  THE    FIRST    GENTILE    CONVERT. 

It  is  on  this  ground  we  indulge  the  hope  that  there 
are  some  in  heathen  lands  prepared  to  receive  the  gos- 
pel, because  they  may  have  come  to  a  perception  of  the 
evils  of  idolatry,  and  of  the  necessity  of  a  purer  religion. 
They  may  now  be  acting  according  to  the  best  of  their 
knowledge  ;  and  if  so,  they  may  be  accepted — saved 
through  the  mercy  of  God  in  Jesus  Christ.  Blessed 
thought ! — were  it  not  for  this,  we  might  be  tempted  to 
harbor  dark  views  of  God's  government.  Not  that  such 
a  thought  serves  to  invalidate  the  duty  of  sending  the 
gospel  to  realms  of  paganism  :  on  the  contrary,  it  fur- 
nishes additional  encouragement  to  publish  in  all  lands 
the  glad  tidings  of  great  joy  ;  while  it  conveys  to  us  this 
great  triitli,  that  all  men  are  to  be  judged  according  to 
the  light  which  they  severally  enjoy. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark,  that,  wherever  this  disposition 
to  do  the  known  will  of  God  actually  exists,  there  will 
be  no  reluctance  to  embrace  the  gospel.  Men  are  prone 
"  to  w^alk  in  the  ways  of  their  heart ;"  and  it  is  because 
they  will  not  give  up  "  the  world  with  its  affections 
and  lusts,"  that  they  so  often  withstand  the  claims  of 
Jesus  Christ  —  not  because,  like  Cornelius,  they  fear 
God  —  proving  their  deference  to  his  authority,  and  their 
regard  for  his  favor,  by  their  prayers  and  alms. 

Show  me  a  man  who  seriously  and  candidly  avails 
himself  of  "the  light  of  Nature,"  and  you  have  pointed 
me  to  a  heathen  who  would  embrace  a  revelation  from 
heaven  with  heartfelt  joy.  Or,  show  me  one  who,  Cor- 
nelius-like, fears  God  more  than  the  opinion  of  the 
.world  ;  who  teaches  his  family  to  reverence  God  rather 
than  to  conform  to  the  ways  of  the  world ;  a  man  who 


THE    FIRST    GENTILE    CONVERT.  405 

daily  prays  to  God,  and  ministers,  out  of  his  abundance, 
to  the  relief  of  the  necessitous  —  and  you  have  pointed 
me  to  one  who  is  not  too  intent  on  the  world  to  deny 
himself  for  the  sake  of  Christ ;  too  proud  to  learn  of 
Christ  and  take  his  yoke  ;  nor  so  regardless  of  God's 
favor,  so  indifferent  to  his  soul's  interests,  that  he  would 
for  a  moment  reject  the  message  of  God's  salvation 
through  Jesus  Christ :  nay,  he  is  now  a  practical,  if  not 
a  professed  believer. 

This,  indeed,  is  one  of  the  great  evidences  of  our 
holy  religion  :  that  they  who  are  disposed  to  do  the  will 
of  God  —  who  show  this  disposition  by  their  fear  of  the 
Lord  and  their  departure  from  evil  — are  the  most  thor- 
oughly convinced  of  its  Divine  origin,  thus  corroborating 
the  words  of  holy  writ :  "  The  secret  of  the  Lord  is 
with  them  that  fear  him."  —  "If  any  man  will  do  his 
will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine  whether  it  be  of 
God  ;"  and,  on  the  other  hand,  "  they  loved  darkness 
rather  than  light,  because  their  deeds  were  evil." 

He,  therefore,  who,  amid  the  light  of  the  gospel,  re- 
jects Jesus  Christ,  cannot  reasonably  hope  in  God's 
acceptance  on  the  ground  of  his  morality.  True,  the 
centurion  was  accepted  hefore  he  embraced  the  gospel ; 
but  it  does  not  follow  that  one  can  be  saved  without 
embracing  it.  Where  is  the  proof  that  Cornelius  de- 
pended on  his  morality  for  salvation?  His  was  an 
offering  of  the  heart ;  but  even  when  the  moralist  enters 
the  house  of  God,  his  heart  has  no  connection  with  his 
worship.  The  centurion  trained  up  his  family  in  ths 
fear  of  God  ;  but  the  moralist  has  not  even  erected  the 
fiimijy  altar.     The  former  daily  prayed  to  God  in  secret ; 


406  THE    FIRST    GENTILE    CONVERT. 

but  the  latter  never  retires  from  the  world  to  his  closet, 
and  there,  closing  the  door  behind  him,  prays  to  that 
God  who  seeth  in  secret.  Where  is  the  man  who  *'  de- 
voutly fears  God  with  all  his  house"  —  a  man  of  prayer 
and  benevolence  —  who  is,  nevertheless,  resting  on  his 
own  works  for  salvation  ? 

They  who  are  wont  to  rely  on  their  works,  are  the 
very  men  whose  works  are  unworthy  of  their  reliance. 
They  may  be  moral,  according  to  the  world's  low  esti- 
mate of  morality ;  but  the  governing  motives  of  their 
actions  have  no  connection  with  the  fear  of  God :  they 
may  be  charitable,  but  they  are  not  devout  w^orshippers 
of  God.  According  to  the  principles  of  Deism  itself, 
they  cannot  be  accepted  ;  for  they  neither  worship  God 
in  spirit,  nor  aim  to  do  his  wull  to  the  best  of  their 
knowledge. 

Cornelius  was  truly  disposed  to  do  the  will  of  God 
as  far  as  it  had  been  made  known  to  him  ;  and  it  is  on 
this  point  that  solemn  issue  might  be  joined  with  the 
moralist.  He  was  disposed  to  do  the  will  of  God,  and 
therefore  the  first  time  he  heard  the  gospel,  he  believed. 
As  soon  as  Jesus  Christ  was  offered,  he  embraced  him 
as  his  vSaviour,  and  testified  his  belief  in  submitting  to 
the  ordinance  of  baptism  ;  that  is,  by  joining  the  Chris- 
tian church.  But  the  moralist,  though  he  may  have  re- 
peatedly heard  the  gospel,  has  yet  refused  to  obey  ;  nay, 
from  year  to  year  rejected  the  gospel  :  and  that,  too, 
contrary  to  all  evidence,  all  entreaty  —  at  times  when 
perhaps  it  was  difficult  for  him  to  stifle  his  convictions 
of  truth  and  duty  ! 

What  can  constitute  an  essential  difference  between 


THE    FIRST    GENTILE    CONVERT.  407 

Cornelius  and  thyself,  O  vain  man,  if  this  does  not?  — 
His  example  ?  have  you  cited  it  in  evidence  that  you 
may  be  accepted  without  believing  in  Christ?  That 
unequivocally  condemns  you  :  that  example  will  rise 
in  judgment  against  you,  unless  you  now  renounce 
your  own  righteousness,  and  cast  yourself,  as  a  poor, 
lost  sinner,  on  the  mercy  of  God  through  Jesus  Christ 
—  believing  on  him  to  the  salvation  of  your  soul! 


408  THE    ALMOST    PEKSUADED. 


THE  ALMOST  PERSUADED. 

In  contemplating  the  actions  of  those  who  are  re- 
moved from  us  by  either  distance  or  time,  we  seldom 
err  in  our  moral  judgments  ;  and,  owing  to  our  inability 
to  sympathize  with  the  feeUngs,  or  our  ignorance  of  the 
motives  which  prompted  those  actions,  we  are  wont  to 
conclude  that  had  we  been  in  similar  circumstances,  we 
would  have  acted  otherwise.  Thus,  as  we  go  back  to 
the  early  history  of  Christianity,  and  contemplate  the 
character  of  the  Son  of  God,  we  wonder  that  he  should 
have  encountered  contumely  and  hate.  Our  feelings  of 
virtuous  indignation  rise  up  against  those  by  whom  he 
was  persecuted  and  slain ;  and  we  have  no  doubt  that, 
had  we  lived  then  and  there,  we  should  have  ranged  our- 
selves among  the  followers  of  the  Lamb.  Thus,  too, 
as  we  trace  the  course  of  the  apostles,  and  at  every  step 
gather  cumulative  evidence  to  the  fact  of  the  Resurrec- 
tion ;  as  we  hang  on  their  lips,  and  witness  the  wonder- 
ful signs  by  which  their  doctrine  was  attested,  we  are 
apt  to  think  that,  so  far  from  persecuting,  we  should 
have  protected  them  ;  that  if  we  had  not  fearlessly  es- 
poused their  cause,  we  should  not  have  rejected  their 
testimony  with  scoi'n  and  derision.  But  if  men,  through 
the  deceitfulness  of  sin,  are  too  apt  to  do  even  what 
they  have  condemned  in  others,  then,  to  say  the  least, 


THE    ALMOST    PERSUADED.  409 

had  we  lived  in  the  days  of  the  apostles,  and  listened  to 
the  preaching  of  Paul  himself,  we  might  have  heen  in- 
different, or  even  skeptical — we  might  have  procrasti- 
nated compliance  widi  the  claims  of  the  gospel,  or  at 
best  been  only  half  persuaded  to  embrace  it. 

That  many  to  whom  the  apostles  addressed  them- 
selves did  not  believe,  furnishes  no  presumption  against 
the  truth  of  the  gospel  —  unless  the  fact  that  men  not 
unfrequently  withstand  the  remonstrances  of  conscience, 
and  act  contrary  to  their  own  convictions  of  right,  con- 
stitutes a  logical  objection  against  the  reality  of  moral 
distinctions.  But  it  is  remarkable  that  the  writer  of  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles,  should  have  given  us  such  a  can- 
did statement  of  the  varied  results  of  their  preaching. 

To  the  success  of  all  human  projects,  it  is  of  the  last 
importance  to  forestall  popular  opinion  ;  and  nothing  so 
effectually  subserves  this  end  as  the  impression  that, 
from  the  first,  it  has  met  with  no  resistance ;  that  wher- 
ever made  known,  it  has  been  immediately  and  univer- 
sally approved.  Every  human  actor  is  prone  to  ex- 
aggerate the  merits  of  his  plan,  or  the  extent  of  his 
influence ;  to  preclude  doubt,  and  prepossess  the  popu- 
lar judgment,  by  vaunting  his  success,  or  parading  the 
number  of  his  adherents.  Various  examples  might  be 
adduced  —  from  the  demao;oG;ue  who  strives  to  create 
the  impression  that  the  resolutions  of  an  insignificant 
caucus  were  the  unanimous  sentiments  of  a  crowded 
assembly,  down  to  the  empiric  who  enumerates  a  multi- 
tude of  cures  by  the  time  his  nostrums  are  ready  for 
sale  ;  or  from  the  fanatic  who  multiplies  converts  to 
overawe  objectors,     down  to  the  temperance-advocate 

•35 


410  THE    ALMOST    PERSUADED. 

whose  SUCCOR'S  i.s  but  dubiously  gauged  by  the  signatures 
to  his  pledge.  It  is  curious  to  observe  what  pains  some 
take  to  represent  their  success  in  the  most  marvellous 
light ;  how  the  advocate  of  some  peculiar  dogma  will 
aim  to  make  it  appear,  even  when  innumerable  facts  are 
against  him,  that  for  eighteen  hundred  years  it  has  been 
held  by  the  church  without  dispute  !  Such  is  the  not 
unfrequent  policy  of  men  to  carry  their  points  ;  such  is 
human  nature,  in  its  expedients  to  compass  selfish  ends. 
But  nothing  of  the  kind  can  be  detected  in  the  evan- 
gelic narratives.  On  the  supposition  that  the  evange- 
lists were  acting  for  themselves,  there  was  every  tempta- 
tion to  both  exaggerate  and  conceal.  Could  they  have 
enlisted  the  multitude  in  their  favor,  there  would  have 
been  the  less  danger  to  their  own  lives  ;  and  what  readier 
way  to  secure  the  reception  of  their  historic  writings, 
than  to  convey  the  impression  that  the  followers  of  Jesus 
were  not  the  few,  but  the  many ;  or  that  all  who  ever 
listened  to  Paul,  had  yielded  to  the  force  of  his  reason- 
ings, and  bowed  to  the  supremacy  of  inspired  truth  ? 
How  easy  had  it  been  for  the  evangelist,  in  recording 
the  particulars  of  the  crucifixion,  to  heighten  the  injus- 
tice of  Pilate's  sentence,  by  saying  that  even  the  thieves 
that  were  crucified  with  Jesus,  saw  his  innocence  and 
commiserated  his  sufferings  ! — but,  true  to  all  the  facts 
in  the  case,  they  state  that,  though  one  of  them  sided 
with  Christ,  the  other  blasphemed  and  reviled  him.  And, 
in  like  manner,  how  easy  had  it  been  for  one  who  had 
more  regard  for  the  success  of  his  cause  than  for  truth, 
—  who  overlooked  means  for  the  sake  of  an  end  —  to 
give  the  most  flattering  account  of  Paul's  preaching; 


THE    ALMOST    PERSUADED.  411 

and  particularly,  after  stating  the  miraculous  manner  in 
which  he  was  converted,  and  the  power  with  which  he 
had  been  endowed  of  working  miracles  !  Had  the  nar- 
rator been  a  mere  ecclesiastic,  such  as  either  Rome  or 
Oxford  has  since  sent  forth  to  shackle  men's  minds,  he 
would  have  made  it  appear  that  the  whole  multitude  of 
Paul's  hearers  signed  themselves  with  the  sign  of  the 
cross,  or  submitted  to  the  regenerative  process  of  bap- 
tism !  Or,  had  any  man  of  ambitious  views  and  secta- 
rian designs  drawn  up  an  account  of  the  apostle's  preach- 
ing, there  are  a  thousand  chances  to  one  that  he  would 
have  carefully  avoided  all  reference  to  those  who  might 
not  have  been  converted,  and  spoken  only  of  the  great 
number  of  converts,  particularly  among  the  higher  classes 
of  society. 

Nothing,  therefore,  impresses  me  with  a  deeper  con- 
viction of  the  humility  and  sincerity  of  the  sacred  wri- 
ters, than  such  statements  as  are  made  in  relation  to  the 
effect  of  Paul's  preaching  on  his  hearers  —  to  wit,  that, 
though  some  believed,  others  believed  not :  some  mocked, 
others  said  they  would  hear  him  again.  Gallio  "cared 
for  none  of  these  things :"  Felix  trembled,  but  said  to 
him  — "  Go  thy  way  for  this  time  ;  when  I  have  a  con- 
venient season,  I  will  send  for  thee."  Festus  told  him 
ho  was  mad  ;  and,  though  his  argument  before  Agrippa 
was  most  cogent,  the  learned  judge  was  not  fully  per- 
suaded to  become  a  Christian. 

In  such  facts  might  be  founded  an  argument  in  favor 
of  the  authenticity  of  this  portion  of  ecclesiastical  his- 
tory :  but  aside  from  this,  had  we  not  been  furnished 
with  this  inspired  account  of  the  early  propagation  of 


412  THE    ALMOST    PERSUADED. 

Christianity,  we  might  have  been  at  a  loss  to  understand 
some  of  the  doctrines  and  some  of  the  resuks  of  the 
preached  word.  It  may  suffice,  however,  for  our  pres- 
ent purpose,  to  remark  that,  from  this  record  of  the 
Past,  the  minister  of  the  sanctuary  may  learn  not  to  be 
discouraged,  should  some  postpone  their  decision,  or 
even  mock  ;  some  be  indifferent ;  others  regard  him  as 
deranged ;  and  others,  again,  be  no  more  than  almost  per- 
suaded to  become  Christians.  And,  on  the  other  hand, 
any  hearer  of  the  gospel  may  behold,  in  this  same  mirror 
of  the  Past,  his  moral  self — the  precise  effect  of  the 
truth  on  his  own  heart ;  and  it  may  be,  that  in  the  case 
of  some  one  of  the  various  characters  to  which  allusion 
is  made  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  he  may  read  his 
own  destiny,  as  shaped  by  his  reception  or  by  his  rejec- 
tion of  the  message  from  on  high  ! 

We  know  not  what  may  have  been  the  effect  of  the 
preceding  pages  of  this  work  on  the  reader's  mind.  If 
they  have  been  read  with  serious  interest,  we  cannot  but 
hope  that  the  conviction  has  deepened  as  he  has  passed 
from  subject  to  subject,  and  listened  to  each  response 
from  the  sacred  oracles  that  God  has  spoken  unto  us  in 
these  last  days  by  his  Son,  and  that  without  him  no  man 
can  be  saved.  Shall  such  a  conviction  lead  to  no  appro- 
priate and  cordial  decision  ?  Shall  the  mind  be  enlight- 
ened with  the  knowledge  of  truth  and  duty,  and  the 
heart  still  cling  to  a  world  that  knows  not  God,  nor 
Jesus  Christ,  whom  he  has  sent? 

In  conclusion,  then,  the  case  of  Agrippa,*  though  it 

*  Acts  xxvi.  28. 


THE    ALMOST    PKKSUADKD.  413 

it  is  SO  familiar,  and  admits  of  so  limited  a  train  of  re- 
mark, constitutes  an  appropriate,  nor  will  it  be  found  a 
useless,  subject  of  inquiry. 

Before  him,  Festus  brought  Paul's  cause  —  for  what 
reason  we  know  not,  unless  he  might  have  been  desirous 
of  Agrippa's  advice,  or  that  Agrippa  himself  was  curious 
to  see  and  hear  a  man  whose  conversion  to  the  new 
faith  had  created  such  an  excitement  among  the  Jews. 
This  is  the  most  probable  reason  :  for,  though  he  had 
been  brought  up  at  Rome,  and  received  signal  marks  of 
the  favor  of  Claudius,  yet,  being  a  Jew,  he  must  have 
heard  of  Christ. 

Paul  was  not  on  trial :  he  was  to  defend  himself,  or 
make  such  a  statement  of  his  cause  as  to  enlist  in  his 
behalf  Agrippa's  influence  with  the  emperor.  We  grant 
that  it  was  his  interest  to  make  out  as  strong  a  case  as 
possible  ;  but  such  a  defence  could  have  been  made  by 
no  one  who  did  not  know  whereof  he  spoke,  and  what 
he  affirmed.  It  is  a  statement  of  facts,  but  never  was  a 
more  eloquent  statement  of  facts  made  by  mortal  lips. 
As  a  defence  of  his  cause,  it  is  at  once  noble  and  tri- 
umphant. But  Paul  was  actuated  by  higher  sentiments 
than  a  mere  regard  for  either  his  rights  or  his  life.  If 
ever  he  urged  his  rights  as  a  citizen,  it  was  that  he 
might  go  on  "  to  testify  to  the  gospel  of  the  grace  of 
God  ;"  if  ever  anxious  to  secure  justice  in  his  own  be- 
half, it  was  that  he  might  "commend  himself  to  every 
man's  conscience  in  the  sight  of  God."  Hence  his 
unflinching  courage  and  unwavering  fidelity.  Before 
any  tribunal,  as  well  as  in  the  synagogue,  he  is  the  same 
man  —  speaking  the  same  words  of  truth  and  soberness  ; 
35* 


414  THE    ALMOST    PERSUADED. 

and  thus,  while  silencing  the  cavils  of  his  enemies,  he 
carries  the  conviction  of  the  truth  of  his  message  to  the 
heart  of  his  judges. 

k>uch  an  opportunity  for  preaching  the  gospel  as  he 
then  had  was  not  to  be  neglected.  Having  given  an 
account  of  his  life  from  his  youth  up  ;  of  the  manner  in 
which  he  was  brought  to  the  knowledge  and  belief  of 
the  faith  in  Christ;  and  how  he  had  hitherto  discharged 
that  commission  which  he  had  received  from  the  Lord 
Jesus  —  he  is  proceeding,  with  growing  energy  and  zeal, 
to  prove  that  he  had  preached  "  none  other  things  than 
those  w'hich  the  prophets  and  Moses  did  say  should 
come" — how  "that  Christ  should  suffer,  and  that  he 
should  be  the  first  that  should  rise  from  the  dead,  and 
should  show  light  unto  the  people,  and  to  the  Gentiles  !" 
—  when  Festus  rudely  interrupts  him  :  pro'bably  aiming 
to  preclude  the  effect  of  Paul's  defence  on  the  common 
mind  ;  or,  it  may  be,  deeming  it  not  worth  while  to  listen 
any  longer  to  one  whose  mind,  in  his  view',  had  become 
affected  by  undue  attention  to  a  particular  subject.  Being 
a  lloman,  he  had  no  ideas  on  the  subject  of  religion  sep- 
arate from  the  mythology  of  the  heathen  ;  and  regarding 
that  as  nothing  more  than  the  device  of  kings  and  priests 
for  civil  purposes,  he  could  not  account  for  Paul's  zeal, 
much  less  his  belief,  except  on  the  supposition  that  his 
learning  had  crazed  him.  To  one  who  had  no  true  idea 
of  God,  and  had  always  looked  on  the  religion  of  his 
own  country  as  an  imposture,  Paul's  doctrine  about  one 
Jesus,  whom  the  Jews  had  put  to  death  as  a  malefactor, 
and  his  story  of  having  seen  him,  and  heard  him  speak, 
and  received  a  commission  from  him  to  proclaim  remis- 


THE    ALMOST    PERSUADED.  415 

sion  of  sin  in  his  name,  must  have  seemed  most  prepos- 
terous ;  and,  in  this  respect,  Festus  represents  not  a  few 
of  the  wise  men  of  the  empire,  who  prejudged,  and,  by 
consequence,  rejected  the  claims  of  Christianity.  Even 
such  men  as  PHny  and  Tacitus,  in  their  alhisions  to  the 
Christian  sect,  give  melancholy  evidence  that  they  could 
contemn  a  subject  which  they  had  not  the  candor  to 
examine,  and  denounce  those  as  fanatics  from  whom 
they  were  too  prejudiced  to  learn. 

Festus,  however,  in  ascribing  Paul's  views  and  feel- 
ings to  an  overheated  imagination,  was  not  unlike  some 
at  the  present  day,  who,  having  no  comprehension  of 
the  nature  and  claims  of  Christianity,  much  less  sympa- 
thy with  its  spirit,  are  wont  to  look  on  a  devoted  Chris- 
tian as  visionary,  if  not  insane  ;  and  who  think  that  any 
one  who  would  bring  them  to  a  sense  of  their  need  of 
such  a  Saviour  as  Christ,  must  be  indeed  beside  him- 
self. Practically,  they  regard  the  gospel  as  a  matter  in 
which  they  have  no  interest.  Never  have  they  taken 
into  serious  thought  their  relations  to  God  and  futurity, 
or  their  character  and  condition  as  lost  sinners  ;  and 
hence  they  know  not  how  the  mind  is  necessarily  affected 
when  brought  under  the  influence  of  the  great  truths  of 
Christianity.  To  think,  to  feel,  to  act,  as  one  should 
who  believes  in  God  and  in  the  retributions  of  an  end- 
less hereafter,  and  that  without  an  interest  in  the  blood 
of  Christ  there  can  be  no  salvation  from  the  wrath  to 
come  —  all  this  must  be  strange  to  him  who  has  never 
bestowed  one  thoughtful  hour  on  the  great  problem  of 
his  being  and  destination  ! 

Paul  beside  himself?     It  is  Festus  who  is  not  in  his 


416  THE    ALMOST    PERSUADED. 

right  mind.  —  Paul  mad?  It  is  Festus  rather,  who, 
though  himself  a  sinner  against  God,  and  in  danger  of 
the  judgment,  has  no  concern  for  his  salvation  !  There 
can  be  no  greater  folly  than  to  procrastinate  compliance 
with  the  overtures  of  the  gospel ;  but  to  regard  the  gos- 
pel as  too  trifling  a  matter  for  a  wise  man's  concern, 
denotes  a  state  of  mind  more  to  be  pitied  than  physical 
madness.  Of  all  men,  he  acts  the  most  irrationally  who, 
in  his  devotedness  to  worldly  ends,  proceeds  on  the 
supposition  that  the  Bible  is  false,  and  hell  a  dream  ! 
It  is  as  though  one,  in  the  confidence  of  his  own  supe- 
rior judgment  as  to  the  termination  of  his  course,  and 
in  spite  of  warnings  and  the  weeping  entreaties  of  friends, 
should  all  the  while  go  nearer  and  nearer  the  edge  of  a 
fearful  precipice,  never  to  awake  to  his  delusion  until  it 
is  too  late. 

Paul,  on  the  other  hand,  had  come  to  a  knowledge 
of  himself — having  learned  of  Christ.  He  had  conse- 
quently left  all  to  follow  Christ  in  the  pathway  to  immor- 
tality ;  and  to  him  no  question  was  so  important  as  the 
question,  '  What  is  truth  ?' — and  no  interest  so  great  as 
the  salvation  of  the  soul.  He  believed  in  God's  Reve- 
lation, and  therefore  spoke  and  acted  in  accordance  with 
his  deep  convictions  of  the  truth,  and  with  an  eye  single 
to  God's  glory  and  man's  eternal  well-being.  His  mind 
was  as  sound  as  his  heart  was  true  ;  and  he  stands  as  the 
type  of  all  who  have  been  brought  to  a  right  mind  as 
regards  their  relations  to  God  and  eternity.  The  nearer 
one  approximates  to  the  apostle's  thoughts,  and  pur- 
poses, and  actions,  the  sounder  will  be  his  views,  the 
purer  his  motives,  and  the  more  benevolent  his  life. 


THE    ALMOST    PERSUADED.  417 

If  but  few  at  the  present  day  can  bear  a  comparison 
with  Paul  in  his  labors  and  perils,  there  are  many  who 
have  the  same  views  of  truth  and  duty,  of  time  and  eter- 
nity, of  God  and  Jesus,  of  heaven  and  hell  ;  who  are 
swayed  by  the  some  motives,  and  animated  by  the  same 
zeal  for  perishing  souls  —  though  they  may  be  obnoxious 
to  the  same  charge  which  Festus  brought  against  Paul. 

Paul  and  Festus  may  be  regarded  as  at  either  extreme 
of  the  public  mind  in  relation  to  the  truths  of  Revelation. 
The  one  zealous,  through  the  strength  of  his  convic- 
tions ;  the  other  opposed,  from  the  force  of  his  preju- 
dices :  —  the  one  anxious  to  bring  all  men  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  truth  ;  the  other  too  satisfied  with  the  con- 
clusions of  his  philosophy,  or  the  vagaries  of  self-conceit, 
to  take  the  pains  to  listen,  much  less  to  inquire  :  —  the 
one  overborne  with  a  sense  of  eternal  realities,  the  other 
living  for  self  and  the  world. 

Between  these,  are  several  grades :  the  Gallios,  who, 
with  unthinking  apathy,  care  for  none  of  these  things ; 
the  Felixes,  who  tremble  at  the  announcement  of  a  future 
judgment,  and  procrastinate  repentance;  and  they  who, 
attracted  by  curiosity  to  hear  the  word,  are  favorably 
impressed  —  or,  perceiving  that  the  evidences  of  Scrip- 
ture are  not  to  be  disputed,  and  that  its  truths  harmonize 
with  the  reason,  and  meet  the  wants  of  the  soul,  are 
almost  persuaded  to  confess  Christ  before  men.  To  the 
first  of  these  classes  may  be  referred  the  low-thoughted 
herd  —  the  muck-rakes  of  society;  to  the  second,  men 
whose  actions  are  contrary  to  what  they  know  and  feel 
to  be  right,  and  who  contrive  to  quiet  their  consciences 
by  virtue  of  their  better  purposes  one  day  to  be  fulfilled  ; 


418  THE    ALMOST    PERSUADED. 

while  the  last  embraces  persons  in  some  respects  dif- 
ferent from  either  of  the  preceding  classes  —  men  who 
have  some  knowledge  of  scriptural  truth  —  who  often 
think  of  their  eternal  interests,  and  are  upright  in  the 
relations  of  life  —  moral  and  amiable  men,  useful  mem- 
bers of  society,  and  respecters  of  religion. 

This  class  may  be  represented  by  Agrippa.  We  have 
no  reason  to  think  that  his  character  was  stained  by  vice, 
or  his  disposition  marred  by  malign  passions.  On  the 
contrary,  he  seems  to  have  been  an  estimable  man  — 
having  had  an  acquaintance  with  the  Scriptures,  and  a 
regard  for  truth  and  right.  He  knew  that,  as  there  is  a 
God,  it  is  proper  to  serve  him  ;  as  the  Scriptures  are  of 
God,  all  men  are  bound  to  go  according  to  the  law  and 
the  testimony.  He  knew,  moreover,  that  tlie  Jewish 
expectation  of  the  Messiah  was  not  unfounded  ;  nor  was 
he  unacquainted  with  what  had  occurred  in  relation  both 
to  Jesus  Christ,  who  had  been  put  to  death  by  the  order 
of  Pontius  Pilate,  and  to  his  followers,  whose  doctrine 
had  occasioned  popular  tumults  in  divers  places  among 
the  Jews. 

Paul  seems  to  have  been  aware  of  Agrippa's  standing 
and  intelligence;  and  accordingly  —  instead  of  arguing 
the  point  with  Festus,  and  aiming  to  convince  him  that, 
though  he  might  seem  to  some  minds  to  be  beside  him- 
self, yet  there  was  a  method  in  his  madness  —  he  rebuts 
his  accusation,  not  so  much  by  the  calm  and  respectful 
manner  in  which  he  denied  it,  as  by  appealing  at  once 
to  the  king,  in  attestation  of  his  sanity.  He  might  have 
said  much  in  self-defence,  or  covered  Festus  with  con- 
fusion of  face  ;  but  nothing  could   have  had  such  influ- 


THE    ALMOST    PERSUADrP.  419 

ence  over  his  accuser  as  this  ready  and  fehcitous  appeal. 
It  serves  to  show,  not  merely  Paul's  comniand  of  his 
feelings,  but  his  thorough  consciousness  of  the  truth  of 
all  he  had  stated  ;  and  not  only  to  remove  any  impres- 
sion which  might  have  been  made  that  he  was  deranged, 
but  to  fasten  a  conviction  of  the  truth  of  the  gospel  on 
the  mind  of  Agrippa  himself. 

He  had  spoken  with  all  the  self-possession  of  a  man 
who  felt  the  truth  and  importance  of  his  cause,  and  with 
all  the  freedom  of  one  who  had  nothing  to  disguise,  and 
no  secret  end  to  answer.  He  had  spoken  of  events 
which  were  known  to  all  the  Jews,  and  on  which  no 
man  could  have  candidly  reflected  without  perceiving 
their  momentous  import  —  which  he  was  persuaded  had 
not  been  unknown  by  Agrippa  himself.  He  had  spoken 
in  accordance  with  the  predictions  of  Moses  and  the 
prophets,  and  with  the  great  facts  in  Christ's  history. 

'King  Agrippa,  believest  thou  the  prophets? — that 
they  spoke  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
that  they  foretold  the  coming  of  Messias  ?  If  their  pre- 
dictions have  been  thus  fulfilled  in  the  death  and  resur- 
rection of  Jesus,  then  it  follows  that  he  is  the  Christ  : 
his  religion  is  truth  from  Heaven  ;  it  cannot  be  rejected 
without  rejecting  God's  testimony,  and  perilling  the 
soul!  Believest  thou?  I  know  that  thou  believest. 
Then  thou  canst  not  reject  Christ  without  forswearing 
Moses  and  the  prophets,  and  resisting  thine  own  convic- 
tions of  the  truth  !' 

Unable  to  deny  that  the  argument  was  valid,  and  that 
the  prophets  had  been  fulfilled  in  the  signal  events  which 
had   recently  taken    place    in   Jerusalem  —  so   far  from 


420  THE    ALMOST    PERSUADED. 

being  influenced  by  Festus's  judgment,  he  candidly 
owns  the  impression  which  Paul's  defence  has  made  on 
his  mind  :  "  Almost  thou  persiiadest  me  to  be  a  Chris- 
tian." 

He  was  convinced  of  the  apostle's  innocence  and  sin- 
cerity, saw  the  conclusion  to  which  a  belief  in  the 
prophets  necessarily  led,  and  was  on  the  point  of  yield- 
ing up  his  mind  and  heart  to  the  belief  and  acknowl- 
edgment of  the  Christian  faith  :  but  further  than  this 
we  have  no  information  respecting  him.  The  proba- 
bility is,  that  this  was  the  turning  point  in  his  destiny ; 
and  that,  for  certain  worldly  reasons,  he  dismissed  the 
subject  for  the  present — but,  in  so  doing,  unconsciously 
postponed  it  until  it  was  too  late  to  decide. 

He  was  almost  persuaded  :  and  how  many  at  the 
present  day  have  been  in  precisely  the  same  state  of 
mind  ! 

Perhaps  the  reader  can  recall  his  own  experience. 
You  might  have  gone  to  hear  some  preacher  of  the  gos- 
pel—  it  may  be,  from  motives  of  curiosity  —  to  while 
away  an  hour  which  otherwise  would  have  passed  heav- 
ily, or  from  a  mere  desire  to  gratify  taste  and  vanity. 
Be  the  motive  what  it  might,  you  were  worldly  in  all 
your  views  and  feelings  ;  it  may  be,  skeptical  of  Christi- 
anity, and  prejudiced  against  those  who  called  them- 
selves Christians.  But  soon  you  lost  sight  of  the  man- 
ner of  the  preacher,  in  your  growing  interest  in  the 
matter  of  his  discourse.  Though  surrounded  by  num- 
bers, you  seemed  to  be  singled  out  and  personally  ad- 
dressed. The  message  referred  to  you — to  your  char- 
acter and  condition  by  nature — your  relations  to  Him 


THE    ALMOST    PERSUADED.  421 

who  made  you,  and  would  one  day  judge  you  for  the 
deeds  done  in  the  flesh.  You  were  impressed  with  a 
sense  of  your  guih  and  danger ;  felt  yourself  not  pre- 
pared to  meet  your  God  in  judgment ;  that  you  could 
not  answer  the  charge  of  ingratitude  to  one  who  had 
crowned  your  life  with  loving-kindnesses  and  tender 
mercies,  nor  the  charge  of  rebellion  against  his  govern- 
ment who  had  formed  you  for  his  own  glory.  As  the 
preacher  went  on,  he  seemed  to  you  as  God's  ambas- 
sador, pleading  with  you  in  Christ's  stead  to  be  recon- 
ciled to  God.  The  truth  of  God  came  home  to  you  ; 
its  evidence  was  too  strong  to  be  resisted,  and  its  im- 
portance too  pressing  to  be  denied  :  for  the  first  time, 
you  realized  the  demands  of  truth  ;  you  felt  condemned 
—  your  need  of  an  interest  in  that  blood  which  was 
shed  for  sinners  —  and  you  were  almost  persuaded  to 
become  a  Christian. 

The  preached  word  does  not  always  produce  this 
effect ;  yet  they  who  have  withstood  its  appropriate 
influence,  may  have  been  affected  by  some  providential 
event,  which,  forcibly  arresting  their  attention,  naturally 
suggested  to  their  minds  the  most  serious  thoughts. 

It  was  perhaps  the  death  of  some  friend,  whose  last 
hours  were  those  of  peace  and  hope.  The  death-bed 
scene  was  so  contrary  to  his  anticipations ;  so  different 
from  what  he  might  have  supposed  to  be  possible ;  so 
strange  to  one  who  had  no  idea  of  happiness  separate 
from  the  gratification  of  worldly  desires — that  he  was 
led  to  pause  and  reflect  on  the  causes  of  such  a  scene  : 
how  one  who  knew  that  he  must  die,  could  be  so  willing 
to  die  —  to  leave  all  the  riches,  and  honors,  and  pleas- 

JJ6 


422  THE    ALMOST    PERSUADED. 

ures  of  the  world,  and  all  the  endearments  of  family  and 
friends ;  that  he  could  have  his  affections  so  placed  on 
unseen  things,  and  so  deep  an  assurance  of  immortal 
life,  and  of  unending  joy  in  the  presence  of  Christ,  as 
even  to  long  to  depart !  And  while  he  stood  by  that 
bedside,  and  witnessed  the  triumph  of  Christian  faith, 
he  felt  that  there  is  a  reality  in  religion  ;  and,  though  he 
might  never  have  prayed  before,  the  language  of  his 
heart  then  was  —  "Let  me  die  the  death  of  the  righ- 
teous, and  let  my  last  end  be  like  his !" 

In  another's  case,  it  might  have  been  the  death  of 
his  bosom  companion.  For  years  they  had  walked 
along  the  path  of  worldly  pursuits.  The  instructions 
of  their  childhood  were  forgotten  ;  the  counsels  of  age 
disregarded  ;  the  sanctuary  was  deserted,  and  the  Sab- 
bath profaned.  Religion  was  the  last  thing  they  would 
need,  or  care  for.  The  world  lured  them  on  :  the  mor- 
row will  be  as  this  day,  or  yet  more  abundant  —  when 
suddenly,  as  by  a  stroke  of  lightning,  the  one  is  stretched 
in  the  arms  of  death!  Appalling  spectacle!  —  enough 
to  awaken  any  impenitent  man  to  the  folly,  the  madness^ 
of  trifling  with  the  concerns  of  his  soul ! 

It  is  not  without  an  influence  on  him  who  is  spared. 
With  what  emotion  does  he  gaze  on  the  pale  features  of 
his  companion,  who  but  yesterday  was  so  full  of  life 
and  hope  —  so  thoughtless,  too,  of  his  supreme  interest 
—  alas  I    wholly  unprepared  for    death.       And    while 

"Ats  hopes  and  fears 
Start  up  alarmed,  and  o'er  life's  narrow  verge 
Look  down — on  what  1     A  fathomless  abyss, 
A  dread  eternity  !  how  surely  his  !"  — 


THE    ALMOST    PERSUADED.  423 

should  he  fail  to  heed  this  solemn  warning  —  while 
he  recalls  the  long-neglected  instructions  of  God's  word, 
and  again  hears  the  Saviour  of  sinners  callina;  unto  him 
in  accents  of  tenderest  entreaty  —  "Turn  ye,  for  why 
will  ye  die?"  —  he  is  almost  persuaded  to  become  a 
Christian ! 

In  like  manner,  some  have  been  brought  to  the  same 
state  of  mind  when  they  were  prostrated  by  sickness,  or 
exposed  to  imminent  danger :  for  a  time  the  attraction 
of  the  world  ceases  —  death  and  eternity  stare  them  in 
the  face !  They  feel  that  they  have  sadly  neglected 
their  highest  concernment,  and  are  almost  persuaded. 

Thus  are  there  instances  of  the  same  convictions  and 
the  same  promptings  during  a  period  of  unusual  atten- 
tion to  religion.  They  who  have  withstood  both  the 
admonitions  of  a  parent's  love,  and  the  entreaties  of  a 
faithful  preacher,  have  at  last  been  affected  by  the  thought 
that  others  around  them  —  perhaps  some  of  their  friends 
—  were  making  their  peace  with  God,  or  rejoicing  in 
the  hope  of  his  pardoning  mercy.  They  have  said  to 
themselves  :  '  Here  the  Spirit  of  God  is,  of  a  truth. 
This  or  that  one  cannot  be  acting  a  part.  Nothing  short 
of  God's  Spirit  could  have  changed  his  heart,  and  led 
him  to  renounce  the  world.  They  have  left  me ;  still, 
they  pity  and  pray  for  me !  And  shall  I  stand  out 
against  the  demands  of  truth,  and  neglect  this  the  day 
of  my  merciful  visitation  ?  Shall  so  many  be  taken, 
and  I  left  to  perish  in  my  sins?'  And  thus,  under  the 
influence  of  such  peculiarly  solemn  and  affecting  scenes, 
he  is  almost  persuaded  to  become  a  Christian! 

We  might  advert  to  the   persuasive  influence  of  a 


424  THE    ALMOST    PERSUADED. 

"communion  season"  —  though  they  who  do  not  pro- 
fess to  be  Christians,  too  often  intentionally  absent  them- 
selves from  the  house  of  God  on  such  occasions  ;  or,  if 
they  attend,  retire  before  the  "  communion  service" 
begins.  This  is  an  unfavorable  sign  —  to  my  mind, 
painfully  significant  of  their  unbelief;  not  merely  that 
they  have  "  no  part  nor  lot  in  the  matter,"  but  that  they 
have  never  seriously  reflected  on  the  fact  that,  without 
an  interest  in  Christ,  there  can  be  no  deliverance  from 
the  condemnation  of  God's  holy  law.  Perhaps  the  rea- 
son for  their  retiring  is,  that  there  is  a  something  in  the 
administration  of  the  Lord's  supper  which  tends  to  dis- 
sipate the  delusions  of  a  false  hope;  which  intimates  to 
them  that  they  have  no  warrant  for  hope  so  long  as  they 
knowingly  violate  the  Saviour's  dying  injunction  ;  and 
which  forces  on  their  minds  a  sense  of  their  ingratitude 
to  Him  who  poured  out  his  soul  unto  death  that  they 
might  live  :  a  something,  too,  in  the  outward  separation 
which  then  takes  place  between  God's  visible  people 
and  the  people  of  the  world,  which  disturbs  their  con- 
sciences, by  forcibly  reminding  them  of  that  separation 
which  will  be  effected  at  the  last  day ! 

If  we  are  right  in  our  surmises,  they  who  are  con- 
scious of  such  suggestions  are  not  mistaken.  The 
Lord's  supper  presents  a  solemn  scene.  It  is  a  stand- 
ing proof  of  the  truth  of  that  gospel  which  Paul  preached 
in  the  hearing  of  king  x\grippa.  It  was  instituted  to 
shadow  forth,  down  to  the  end  of  time,  the  death  of 
Christ,  as  the  Lamb  of  God  slain  from  the  foundation 
of  the  world,  and  typified  in  the  first  acceptable  sacrifice 
that  was  ever   offered   by   fallen    man   to   the   offended 


THE    ALMOST    PERSUADED.  425 


m 


ajesty  of  Heaven.*  It  is  the  passover  of  the  present 
dispensation  —  the  sjjiritual  feast  upon  the  one  great  Sac- 
rifice. It  was  designed,  moreover,  to  unite  all  his  fol- 
lowers in  a  visible  bond  of  faith  and  love,  of  peace  and 
joy  ;  and  it  will  be  observed  until  Christ  come,  in  the 
glory  of  his  Father  and  with  all  his  holy  angels,  to  sep- 
arate between  him  that  served  God  and  him  that  served 
him  not. 

How  expressive  those  simple  elements  —  carrying  the 
mind  back  to  the  scenes  of  Gethsemane  and  of^Calvary 

—  where  Jesus  sweat  as  it  were  great  drops  of  blood  — 
where  he  was  nailed  to  the  accursed  cross !  and  then 
forward  to  the  scenes  of  that  day  when  he  who  hung  on 
the  cross  will  come  to  decide  the  destinies  of  men  and 
angels  !  How  intimate  the  connection  between  the  re- 
membrance of  him  at  his  table,  and  union  with  him  by  a 
world-renouncing  faith  ! — between  confessing  him  before 
men,  and  being  confessed  by  him  before  the  holy  angels  ! 

Amid  the  solemn  silence  of  a  "  communion  season" 

—  while  the  emblems  of  the  Saviour's  broken  body  and 
shed  blood  are  distributed  to  the  company  of  the  disci- 
ples, and  each  one  is  left  to  his  own  devout  reflections 

—  a  sdll  small  voice  has  been  heard  by  some  one  of  the 
spectators,  accusing  him  of  having  too  long  turned  his 
back  on  the  Saviour  —  trifled  with  the  influences  of 
God's  gracious  Spirit — knowingly  neglected  his  duty — 
and  voluntarily  separated  himself  from  God's  covenant 
people  !  And  while  he  felt  that  he  was  without  excuse 
for  having  neglected  such  an  opportunity,  and  the  thought 
seriously  weighed  on  his  mind  that  another  opportunity 

*  See  pages  24,  25. 


426  THE    ALMOST    PERSUADED. 

?night  not  recur,  he  was  almost  persuaded  to  become  a 
Christian. 

But  why  were  not  such  fully  persuaded  and  fixedly 
resolved?  —  for  although,  under  similar  circumstances, 
many  have  become  Christians,  yet  the  class  of  persons 
to  whom  we  have  referred  are  now  no  nearer  the  king- 
dom of  God  than  they  were  before.  In  Agrippa's  case, 
it  was  owing  perhaps  to  the  force  of  lingering  prejudice, 
to  his  reluctance  to  be  associated  with  the  despised  fol- 
lowers of  the  Nazarene.  to  the  pride  of  rank  or  the  love 
of  office,  or  to  the  persuasion  that  there  was  time  enough 
to  come  to  a  decision.  And  it  is  owing  to  causes  not 
unlike  those  which  operated  on  the  mind  of  Agrippa, 
that  many  who  have  been  similarly  impressed,  have  not 
yet  become  the  willing  followers  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 

There  is  the  love  of  some  sin  that  always  leads  the 
sinner  to  hesitate.  There  are  the  sentiments  of  false 
shame,  because  he  himself  may  have  sometimes  scoffed 
—  the  allurements  of  worldly  pleasure,  the  promptings 
of  ambition,  or  the  whispers  of  avarice  :  there  is  the 
conscience-quieting  suggestion  that  he  may  be  as  good 
as  Christians  themselves  —  better  than  some  who  name 
the  name  of  Christ ;  and,  though  last,  not  least  in  its 
influence,  the  ever-besetting  impression  that  the  present 
is,  after  all,  not  so  favorable  for  a  decision  as  some  future 
time  will  be  :  and  in  one  or  the  other  of  these  disposi- 
tions and  suggestions  of  man's  depraved  heart,  we  may 
discern  the  reason  why  they  to  whom  we  have  alluded 
were  not  fully  persuaded. 

We  attach  but  little  importance  to  the  supposition 


THE    ALMOST    PERSUADED.  427 

that  they  might  not  have  had  all  the  evidence  for  the 
truth  they  deemed  necessary,  or  that  their  minds  were 
embarrassed  by  speculative  difficulties  :  still  less  in  rela- 
tion to  those  who  have  enjoyed  all  advantages  for  mas- 
tering the  evidences  and  understanding  the  doctrines  of 
the  Christian  system.  "  The  lusts  of  the  flesh"  often 
sway  the  mind's  decisions  ;  and,  that  we  do  not  err  in 
ascribing  even  speculative  difficulties,  as  well  as  pro- 
crastinated compliance  with  the  conditions  of  the  gospel, 
to  the  force  of  pride,  of  passion,  or  of  prejudice,  might 
be  shown  by  an  appeal  to  all  who  have  become  Chris- 
tians. 

There  is  scarce  one  who  knows  not,  from  his  own 
experience,  how  great  is  the  reluctance  of  the  "  carnal 
mind"  to  give  up  all  for  Christ ;  what  a  conflict  ensued 
the  moment  truth  gained  a  lodgment  in  his  conscience  ; 
bow  he  bad  to  contend  with  the  love  of  some  sinful 
pleasure,  with  the  aspirations  of  ambition,  with  the  desire 
of  becoming  speedily  rich,  with  the  allurements  of  luxu- 
rious and  fashionable  life,  or  with  the  skeptical  sugges- 
tions of  an  evil  heart ;  how  at  one  moment  he  was  influ- 
enced by  the  fear  of  shame,  and  again  by  a  false  pride; 
now  tempted  to  think  that  religion  is  a  delusion,  and 
then,  when  convinced  of  his  guilt  and  danger,  tempted 
to  delay.  Yes  ;  and  perhaps  how  long  was  his  struggle 
against  "  the  world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil ;"  how  he 
kept  aloof  from  wonted  scenes  and  engagements,  lest  his 
mind  should  be  diverted  ;  how,  at  last,  he  sought  the 
converse  of  some  man  of  God,  that  he  might  make 
known  the  state  of  his  mind,  and  be  directed  aright; 
how  he  feared  that  he  might  rest  satisfied,  for  the  pres- 


428  THE    ALMOST    PERSUADED. 

ent,  in  being  almost  persuaded ;  how  he  fell  on  his 
knees,  and  confessed  his  besetting  sins  to  God,  and 
prayed  that  he  might  be  enabled  to  forsake  every  sin  — 
that  no  wonted  allurement,  no  selfish  and  worldly  mo- 
tive, might  interfere  with  his  full  persuasion  of  the  truth, 
his  acknowledging  of  the  same,  and  ranging  himself  on 
the  Lord's  side. 

But  what  a  state  of  mind  is  that  to  which  we  have 
referred  ;  hpw  full  of  interest  to  angels  as  well  as  Chris- 
tians ;  how  pregnant  with  vast  results  !  It  is  then  the 
dying  sinner  comes  to  himself — to  a  conviction  of  his 
true  character  as  a  fallen  being,  and  of  the  wants  and 
woes  of  his  moral  nature  —  his  need  of  pardon,  purity, 
and  peace  !  He  begins  to  see  that  the  favor  of  God  is 
worth  more  to  him  than  all  the  objects  to  the  acquisition 
of  which  he  had  been  so  long  devoted ;  begins  to  feel 
for  the  safety  of  his  precious,  undying  soul !  it  may  be, 
trembles  for  his  salvation!  Trembles?  —  well  he  may. 
He  stands,  as  it  were,  midway  between  Christ  and  the 
world  —  between  heaven  and  hell.  He  cannot  remain 
where  he  is  :  he  must  go  forward,  or  he  will  go  back- 
ward ;  must  yield  to  his  convictions,  or  stifle  them  ; 
embrace  the  truth,  or  seek  some  refuge  of  lies  ;  give  up 
his  sins  for  Christ,  or  Christ  for  his  sins  ! 

Hence  his  greater  danger  ;  because,  being  almost  per- 
suaded, he  may  be  tempted  to  think  that  there  is  at 
least  safety  in  such  a  state,  and  that  he  may  at  any  time 
come  to  a  decision.  But  not  so  :  any  delay  must  be 
attended  with  awful  hazard  to  the  soul.  The  fact  of 
having  once  acted  in  direct  opposition  to  the  clear  and 
strong  convictions  of  duty,  lessens  the  probability  that 


THE    ALMOST    PERSUADED.  429 

he  will  ever  be  influenced  in  the  same  degree  by  the 
like  convictions.  If  he  can  now  withstand  the  clearest 
evidences,  the  most  effective  motives,  and  the  most 
touching  appeals  ;  if  neither  the  force  of  truth,  nor  the 
threatenings  of  wrath,  nor  the  promises  of  mercy,  nor 
the  penetrating  sense  of  his  own  guilt  and  danger,  nor 
the  dread  possibility  that  his  day  of  grace  may  end  with 
the  going  down  of  the  morrow's  sun  ;  if  none  of  these 
considerations  can  induce  him  to  give  up  the  world  and 
follow  Christ,  is  it  reasonable  to  expect  that  he  ever  will 
be  fully  persuaded  ? 

He  may  think  that  he  is  unfavorably  situated  for  a 
decision,  or  that  his  worldly  avocations  are  too  urgent 
to  be  postponed  :  such  is  apt  to  be  the  infatuation  of  the 
dying  sinner,  even  when  brought  to  this  crisis  in  his  his- 
tory. But  were  he  only  honest  with  himself,  and  true  to 
his  highest  welfare,  he  would  forego  all  worldly  inter- 
ests rather  than  procrastinate  his  decision.  The  world 
will  never  appeal  to  him  with  less  force  than  it  does 
now ;  and,  by  a  moral  necessity  of  his  nature,  he  will 
become  more  wedded  to  self  and  sin,  and  more  averse 
from  God  and  duty. 

Here  the  teachings  of  experience  preclude  theory, 
and  the  warnings  of  facts  supersede  the  necessity  of 
argument.  The  skeptical  may  yet  be  convinced — the 
immoral  convicted  —  the  indifferent  aroused  from  their 
fatal  lethargy  ;  but  he  who  can  rest  satisfied  for  the  pres- 
ent in  being  almost  persuaded,  is  hardening  his  own 
heart:  the  process  may  be  gradual,  but  it  is  sure  — 
as  has  been  exemphfied  in  the  case  of  many  an  aged 
wnrldiing'. 


430  THE    ALMOST    PERSUADED. 

Nor  is  it  difficult  to  account  for  this  on  scriptural  prin- 
ciples. Can  any  thing  short  of  a  Divine  influence  turn 
men  from  nature's  darkness  into  the  marvellous  light 
of  the  gospel?  Were  not  these  convictions  of  truth 
and  duty  wrought  in  that  man's  mind  by  the  Spirit  of 
God  ?  was  it  not  because  God's  Spirit  strove  with  him, 
that  he  was  so  deeply  affected  by  the  truth,  and  con- 
cerned for  his  salvation  ?  Yes  ;  and  it  is  as  true  that 
God's  Spirit  "  shall  not  always  strive  with  man." 

Strange,  indeed,  that  any  one  who  has  been  brought 
to  this  state  of  mind,  can  rest  until  he  comes  to  a  decis- 
ion !  Of  what  use  is  it  to  be  no  more  than  "  almost  per- 
suaded V  And  should  death  come  upon  one  in  an 
unexpected  hour,  what  alleviation  could  it  be  to  reflect 
—  rather,  what  an  aggravation  of  his  misery  would  it 
be  to  recall  the  fact  that,  while  enjoying  all  the  lights 
and  privileges  of  the  gospel,  he  was  almost  a  Christian  ! 
Infinitely  better  to  live  and  die  a  heathen,  than  live  and 
die  all  hvt.  a  Christian  ! 

Here,  then,  we  take  our  leave  of  the  reader — not 
without  the  hope,  however,  that  if  he  is  a  Christian,  he 
will  be  led  to  prize  more  than  ever  "  the  faith  once  de- 
livered unto  the  saints;"  if  he  is  not,  that  he  will  rever- 
ently listen  to  the  voice  which  now  sounds,  in  warning 
accents,  from  the  depths  of  the  Sacred  Oracles  :  "  To- 
day, if  ye  will  hear  His  voice,  harden  not  your  heart." 

T  H  K       E  N  I)  . 


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